The Sen Times

New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) Flagging the inordinate delay in resolution of references made to larger benches, the Supreme Court on Wednesday requested the Chief Justice of India to explore the possibility of constituting a permanent five-judge bench to deal with cases involving constitutional issues. A bench of justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma termed the delay as an area of grave concern and said self-introspection was required as pendency of reference for far too long does not refl

New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said the party stood firmly with the demand of the people of Ladakh for meaningful constitutional safeguards, including the Sixth Schedule, to protect Ladakhs land, employment, fragile environment, culture and identity. He also demanded that the judicial probe into the deaths of four people during statehood protests must ensure accountability and bring out the truth. On September 24, 2025, police in Leh shot and killed fo

Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade on Wednesday amid easing crude oil prices although foreign investor selling remained a key headwind for domestic equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 283.66 points to 74,812.74 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty was up 85.55 points to 23,414.55. Among the 30 Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement, Larsen & Toubro and Asian Paints were among the winners. Tata Consultancy Ser

Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI) The rupee gained 5 paise to 95.57 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, supported by falling crude oil prices and a broader recovery in Asian currencies. Forex traders said going ahead currency market direction will majorly be driven by unfolding geopolitical developments. Softer crude oil prices remain the major support for the rupee, while a firm American currency after the US Feds rate hike and foreign portfolio outflows remain the main concerns. At the inter

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) Gold prices fell for the second straight session, falling by Rs 1,500 to Rs 1.54 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday amid weak global trends. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity depreciated by Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,54,900 per 10 grams, inclusive of all taxes, from Mondays closing level of Rs 1,56,400 per 10 grams, according to local traders. Silver prices, however, remained unchanged at Rs 2.42 lakh per kilogram. Gold extended its decline on Tuesday as ha

Washington, Sep 22 (Conversation) The president is going after the press again. On Sept. 19, 2026, journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were denied access to the White House after President Donald Trump revoked their credentials, citing their constant reporting FAKE NEWS! On social media, Trump posted, Media Outlets shouldnt be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when theyre covering the President. This is not Trumps first attempt at banning journalists from the White House

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Gold started the week on a weak note, with its prices slipping by Rs 200 to Rs 1,56,400 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday amid subdued global trends and a stronger rupee. Gold of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 1,56,600 per 10 grams on Friday. Silver also took a sharp hit, falling Rs 5,000 to Rs 2.42 lakh per kilogram, inclusive of all taxes, according to local traders. The white metal had settled at Rs 2.47 lakh per kg in the preceding session. Gold an

Sheffield (UK), Sep 21 (The Conversation) In August 2026, an experiment using frontier, or cutting edge, artificial intelligence models went further than planned. An AI agent (a system that performs tasks autonomously) fabricated online identities in order to pressurise a human to insert malicious computer code into software. The agents had been tasked with solving a cybersecurity challenge by human operators, but they hadnt been instructed to do anything like this. The attempt was carried out b

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) Market benchmark indices ended higher on Monday, with the Sensex climbing 564 points and the Nifty rising for the fourth day, amid cooling crude oil prices, fresh foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in global equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 564.03 points, or 0.76 per cent, to settle at 74,858.99. During the day, it surged 692.44 points, or 0.93 per cent, to 74,987.40. Rising for the fourth day, the 50-share NSE Nifty was up 67.90 points, or 0.29 per cent, to e

Knoxville (US), Sep 21 (The Conversation) Despite having an overactive immune system, people with lupus may still struggle to fight bacterial infections. My team and I found that this paradox may be because chronic inflammation pushes their immune cells toward the wrong kind of response. To understand why an overactive immune system can still fail to control bacterial infection, we focused on neutrophils, which are white blood cells that are among the first to respond when bacteria enter the bod

BEIJING, Sept 21 (Reuters) Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday for talks aimed at keeping a fragile trade truce that is due to expire in November on track. Here is a look back at key moments in the US-China trade war: February 2025 In one of his first moves since returning to office, Trump imposes a 10% duty on Chinese goods over fentanyl and immigration concerns. China responds with levies on US coal, LNG, crude oil and autos, and

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty climbed in early trade on Monday amid cooling crude oil prices, fresh foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in Asian equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 448.32 points to 74,743.28 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty was up 50.3 points to 23,396.70. Among the 30 Sensex firms, UltraTech Cement, InterGlobe Aviation, Asian Paints, Sun Pharma, HCL Tech and Trent were the major winners. Infosys, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel and P

Adelaide, Sep 21 (Conversation) Do you remember how old you were when you got your first period? And whether it was considered early, late or about average? Some parents are reportedly overhauling lunchboxes, shampoos and doing all they can to attempt to delay their childs periods, so they dont grow up too early. But are periods actually getting earlier? And is this anything to worry about? Lets look at what the science says and whether parents can actually impact the timing. When do periods st

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, September 18, 2026 (AP) A powerful bomb exploded Friday at a mosque near a building housing police offices in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 15 people and wounding 56 others, police and rescue officials said. The attack came as violence has surged in the region with security forces targeting militants. The bombing occurred in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, when an attacker apparently rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into th

NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (Reuters) Indias food regulator on Friday said it found a Nestle baby food sample substandard in testing and has begun legal action against the company, the latest multinational to fall foul of the countrys food safety drive. Indian authorities found a sample of follow-up formula, which is a milk product for infants, sub-standard with respect to biotin food additive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a social media post. The FSSAI has also filed

September 18, 2026 (Conversation) Coffee is best known, and perhaps most valued, for its caffeine and its ability to make us feel more awake and alert. But coffee is much more than caffeine dissolved in hot water. Coffee is a chemically complicated plant extract containing hundreds of bioactive compounds. These can have all kinds of weird and wonderful effects in your body, even when youre drinking decaf. Here are seven of the strangest. 1. Coffee can make you poo One study shows about three in

Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Democracy is in danger in India if the Election Commission is issuing decisions under duress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged on Friday after the poll body ordered freezing of the Trinamool Congresss name and symbol. Speaking to reporters, Raut asserted that the TMC belongs to former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and accused the BJP of engineering a split in the party. In its interim order issued on Thursday night, the Election Commission, after hear

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) Gold prices on Friday rose by Rs 1,309 to Rs 1,54,290 per 10 grams in futures trade as speculators created fresh positions on firm spot demand. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the yellow metal contract for October delivery traded higher by Rs 1,309, or 0.86 per cent, at Rs 1,54,290 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 2,156 lots. Fresh positions by market participants led to a rise in the precious metals prices, analysts said. Gold futures rose 1.16 per cent to USD 4,3

BENGALURU, India, September 17, 2026 (AP) Human-caused global warming thinned glaciers and thawed mountain permafrost, likely helping to destabilize the Himalayan slope that collapsed last month and unleashed catastrophic flooding across Nepal, according to a report released Thursday. The report by the World Weather Attribution cautioned that climate change was not the sole cause of the Aug. 26 disaster. A large 2015 Nepal earthquake may have weakened the rock years before the collapse, their a

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) A public interest litigation (PIL) matter has been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the Centres decision to impose a merchant discount rate (MDR) on specified UPI person-to-merchant transactions of above Rs 2,000, saying the levy has been introduced without adequate statutory safeguards, transparency or public consultation. The government has introduced a 0.4% fee on UPI payments of more than Rs 2,000 made to merchants from October 15. Under this, a merchant discou

WASHINGTON, September 15, 2026 (AP) The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lift its short-term interest rate Wednesday for the first time in three years to fight stubbornly high inflation, a move that would put the central bank at odds with President Donald Trumps support for a cut. A quarter-point increase in the Feds rate, currently about 3.6%, isnt guaranteed because Fed Chair Kevin Warsh doesnt provide the signals about next moves that his predecessors did. Still, most analysts and econo

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The government has directed banks and payment system providers not to levy charges on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions of up to Rs 2,000 or on payments made through RuPay debit cards. However, the government has not specified whether charges would be applicable to transactions above Rs 2,000, to be paid by merchants. So far, there has been no charge on UPI transactions, irrespective of the amount. As per a gazette notification dated September 14, no bank or s

New Delhi, Sept 15 (PTI) Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday, asserting that online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform operating in India and absolutely non-negotiable. The government will take action against platforms that fail to take proactive steps to ensure childrens safety online, the sources said, underlining its tough stance on platforms responsibility t

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) September is traditionally the time of year when many young people go to university or college, often leaving parents and carers facing an empty nest. But an empty nest doesnt just mean a quiet home. Sometimes for the older generation there are also difficult questions about the next phase of their life. The term empty nest was popularised by US author and activist Dorothy Canfield Fisher in her 1914 book Mothers and Children. It described the emotional challeng

THE ESSENTIALS Hearing loss, which occurs with age, remains insufficiently detected and treated. However, the data clearly shows that wearing hearing aids prevents falls as well as cognitive decline. Failing to adequately address the issue of hearing in policies for the elderly has a health cost, but also an economic one. Long relegated to the status of a minor ailment of aging, hearing loss is still too often perceived as an unavoidable inconvenience. Yet, in older people, its effects go far be

New Delhi, Sep 13 (PTI) Period pain is often dismissed as a normal part of menstruation, but severe or persistent pain could be a sign of endometriosis, a chronic condition that can affect fertility and significantly impact a womans quality of life, according to doctors. Experts said growing evidence suggests that genetic and epigenetic factors may influence a womans susceptibility to the condition, highlighting the need for greater awareness and earlier diagnosis. Symptoms of period pain are of

September 11, 2026 (Conversation) Earlier this week, researcher Jacob Coxon quit Anthropic, saying the firm and its competitors are gambling with our lives. We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans, added current Anthropic researcher Evan Hubinger in a post on X. Coxon isnt the first to down tools over fears of AI doom. The idea that AI could wipe out humanity, advanced in Nick Bostroms 2014 book Superintelligence and the influential LessWrong forum, has long circulated among rese

NEW DELHI, Sept 11 (Reuters) Indias Supreme Court has ordered the federal government to provide a clear pathway for the implementation of food warning labels on packaged products within 10 days, ratcheting up pressure on New Delhi to implement the public health measure. The Supreme Court has piled pressure on New Delhi to implement stricter warning labels following complaints from a health non-profit, amid a crackdown on food safety which has seen regulators raid eateries nationwide. The food r

NEW DELHI, September 11, 2026 (AP) Bad traffic is a fact of life in New Delhi, but its often at its worst when foreign dignitaries come to town. As Indias capital prepares to host a summit of the BRICS grouping of countries this weekend, parts of one of the worlds busiest urban centers have been turned into tightly controlled security zones. Even as many Delhi residents are proud to play host to a gathering of world leaders, the traffic chaos is testing their patience and prompting widespread c

NEW DELHI, Sept 10 (Reuters) India will host the BRICS Leaders Summit this weekend, seeking to lift the blocs global profile even as the U.S.-led war on Iran splits its membership, with Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposing sides of the conflict. The September 12-13 summit in New Delhi comes more than six months after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a BRICS member since 2024. The conflict has led to a virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds key choke points in the o

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Declining for the third straight session, Gold prices fell Rs 100 to Rs 1,58,000 per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday amid subdued demand in local markets. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 1,58,100 per 10 grams in the previous session. However, silver bucked the trend and extended its gains for the second straight session, surging by Rs 2,300 to Rs 2,43,400 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) from Tuesdays closing level of Rs 2,41,10

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Lower levels of serotransferrin, the blood protein that transports iron through the body, are an early indicator of coronary artery disease (CAD) and can help identify heart conditions earlier than routine clinical diagnoses, say scientists. Iron deficiency is prevalent in patients of CAD, a common cardiovascular condition characterised by a narrowing of the coronary arteries due to atherosclerosis, primarily resulting from an accumulation of plaque or fatty deposits. An a

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 Indias port-based sugar refineries are likely to divert about 250,000 metric tons of refined sugar to the domestic market, an industry executive said on Wednesday. India, the worlds biggest sugar consumer, last month allowed duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons raw sugar to bring down record-high domestic prices. The country has a handful of port-based refineries that import raw sugar duty-free, refine it and export the resulting white sugar. The government has also allo

September 9, 2026 (Conversation) For some women, the birth of their baby is one of the happiest days of their lives. Others remember it as a frightening, overwhelming or deeply distressing experience. Around one in three women report their birth experience as traumatic. Women can be traumatised during birth when there is a medical emergency such as a caesarean section, heavy bleeding, or a newborn baby needing intensive care. But its not always the emergency itself that leaves a lasting impact.

HONG KONG, Sept 9 (Reuters) Singapore Airlines, backed by state investor Temasek, is expected to seek greater influence over management and stronger governance rights before approving a capital injection into Air India, said two people familiar with the matter. The proposed conditions, which would be negotiated with Air Indias majority owner Tata Sons, could include greater board voting power and requirements for the Indian carrier to narrow its losses, the people said. Temasek, Singapore Airli

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab over the alleged suicide of a villager who questioned Finance Minister Harpal Cheema about the unabated supply of drugs, demanding that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should immediately demand the ministers resignation and ensure an impartial investigation. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha further alleged that a dangerous pattern is emerging under the AAP government that if one ques

Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Wednesday as escalating tensions in West Asia pushed crude oil to near USD 100-per-barrel mark. Selling in IT stocks and fresh foreign fund outflows also dented investors sentiment. The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 500.25 points to 75,060.61 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 129.40 points to 23,506.10. Among the 30 Sensex firms, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Hindu

SYDNEY, Sept 9 (Reuters) Australia said on Wednesday it sees no risk to its relationship with the United States after reports that the Trump administration criticised Canberras plans to target social media algorithms, which critics say would curtail free speech. On Tuesday Australias centre-left Labor government said social media users would be given the choice to opt out of algorithms under draft legislation, effectively allowing them to curate their own feeds. Social media companies face fine

WELLINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) New Zealand will let wealthy visa applicants count investments in approved funds backing build-to-rent housing from December, the government said on Tuesday, tapping foreign capital to help fund new long-term rental homes. The centre-right National Party-led government has progressively loosened New Zealands Active Investor Plus visa since relaunching it in April 2025, cutting the minimum investment for its Growth category to NZ$5 million ($2.93 million) from NZ$15

TORONTO, September 9, 2026 (AP) The United States is banning the import of some dairy products and motorcycles from Canada along with most alcoholic beverages, the White House said Tuesday, as part of a trade war that shows little sign of cooling off. The ban will take effect Sept. 29 and comes after retaliatory tariffs promised by Canada kicked in earlier Tuesday on $20 billion in U.S. imports. Canada had responded to tariff moves by U.S. President Donald Trump after trade talks between the co

LONDON, September 8, 2026 (AP) Britain is set to ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in response to an expansion program that is imperiling efforts to establish a Palestinian state, the U.K. government said Tuesday. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is due to give details in the House of Commons later, after saying last week that he would reset U.K. relations with Israel. Its a significant toughening of Britains stance towards Israel, whose conduct towards the Palestinians

Mumbai, Sep 8 (PTI) The cost of home-cooked meals rose moderately in August, a report said on Tuesday. The cost of a vegetarian meal increased 1 per cent year-on-year and month-on-month to Rs 29.5 per thali, the monthly report by the research arm of domestic rating agency Crisil said. In the case of a non-vegetarian meal, a 10 per cent jump in broiler prices pushed up the cost of a thali by 5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 57.5, the report by Crisil Intelligence said. However, the price was 1 per c

New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) Gold prices climbed to a more than five-month high of Rs 1.64 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday, tracking firm global trends and renewed demand amid escalating US-Iran tensions. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity appreciated Rs 900 to Rs 1,64,400 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes), from Fridays closing level of Rs 1,63,500 per 10 grams, according to the All India Sarafa Association. The precious metal was last quoted around this level on March 9

NEW DELHI, Aug 24 India has enough sugar stocks to meet festival-season demand, with a record price rally driven by speculative buying rather than any real supply shortfall, the head of the countrys top sugar industry body said on Monday. Sugar prices in India, the worlds biggest consumer of the sweetener, have jumped more than 40% in two months to a record high, prompting New Delhi to allow duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons of raw sugar for the first time in nearly a decade. Sugar sto

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) Gold and silver prices surged to more than three-month high levels in the national capital on Friday, extending their gains for a second straight session as a weak US dollar and firm global trends drove investors towards precious metals. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity appreciated by Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,63,500 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes), up from the previous close of Rs 1,62,300 per 10 grams, according to local traders. The precious metal was last quoted

Mumbai, Aug 20 (PTI) The rupee pared initial gains and settled for the day with gains of just 3 paise at 95.70 against the US dollar on Thursday, as the support from the weaker dollar index was negated by elevated crude oil prices. Forex traders said while a weaker US dollar eases some depreciation pressure on the domestic currency, crude oil hovering above USD 90 would continue to keep pressure on Indias import bill. The dollar index fell to its lowest level since late May after the US Treasury

MUMBAI, Aug 20 (Reuters) The RBI expects close to $80 billion in inflows via subsidised swap facilities opened in June as a way to bolster foreign exchange reserves, RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra said in an interview to the Financial Express newspaper on Thursday. Last week, the Reserve Bank of India decided to close one of the schemes, a discounted swap facility for dollar deposits by non-resident Indians, earlier than anticipated. Here are Malhotras key comments: Across all three schemes, we e

August 20, 2026 (Conversation) In the United States, leading HR software company Workday is currently facing a lawsuit over its use of job screening tools powered by AI which allegedly discriminated against applicants based on factors such as age, disability and race. The company, whose hiring software is widely used by large employers around the world, has denied the allegations. The case is one of many examples of AI systems alleged to have caused discriminatory harm. When AI systems replicate

Patna, Aug 19 (PTI) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was detained in Patna on Wednesday while taking out a march over the recent police action during the NEET paper leak protests in Bihar, SSP Kartikeya K Sharma said. Yadav was taken away in a police vehicle near the Income Tax office here. The government is pushing the future of students into darkness. Exam papers are getting leaked frequently, he alleged, while being put inside a police van. RJD leaders and workers, led by Yadav, the Leader of Opposi

NEW YORK, August 19, 2026 (AP) Locked in a competitive reelection race, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared on social media last week that a new poll was evidence that her campaign was gaining momentum. Just a few days later, the truth emerged: The poll was fabricated. The California results were among at least three polls across three states posted online this month by Median Strategies, a previously unknown organization that admitted to the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the purported res