Bhubaneswar-Kolkata IndiGo flight on Aug 13 cancelled after pilot detects technical snag
INDIA BUSINESS | Sun, 16 Aug 2026, 12:33AM IST
An IndiGo flight from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata was cancelled on August 13. The pilot detected a technical issue while passengers were boarding the aircraft. All 56 passengers were safely escorted back to the arrival area. The cancellation caused some passenger agitation which was quickly managed by airport personnel. Airlines continue to prioritize technical checks before any flight departure.
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Belgium wildfire burns at least 1,600 hectares
INDIA NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 11:48PM IST
Belgium: Belgian firefighters backed by water bombers and helicopters were battling a rapidly spreading wildfire on Saturday at a natural park near the German border that ravaged at least 16 square kilometres (six square miles) in 24 hours.Reinforcements have been called in from across the country to help tackle the blaze at the Hautes Fagnes park, in the country's far east, with aerial support coming in from European partners under the EU's civil protection mechanism.The blaze, already one of the largest in Belgium's history, remains uncontrolled according to Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the regional authorities in Wallonia said.The nearby village of Sourbrodt, with about 500 residents, was under threat of evacuation after the fire, which broke out on Friday, ballooning in size overnight.Also read | Hormuz ship attacks mount as US vows to cripple Iran economy"It is under consideration because of the smoke, but no final decision has been taken yet," Yernaux said."There is a risk that the fire could reach homes, but we are deploying all available resources to protect them," he added.The municipal Facebook page advised residents to prepare for a possible evacuation-packing essential belongings, keeping doors and windows closed because of smoke, and remaining alert to official updates.In Eupen, a municipality close to the fire, the sky was gradually turning yellow, with columns of smoke visible in the distance, according to a journalist at the scene."The situation is complicated and highly dependent on aerial resources," Yernaux said.Also read | 7.7 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia, killing at least 47Operations were being made harder by the fens' terrain-a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks.Firefighters had "pulled back to the edge of the forest and allowed parts of the heathland to burn because the area is very difficult to access," Yernaux said.
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Govt weighs PNG drive 3.0; launch likely in Sept
INDIA NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 11:11PM IST
Mumbai: The government is planning PNG Drive 3.0 to speed up the process of homes and industries switching to piped natural gas (PNG), two officials aware of the development said.The drive could be launched as early as September, they told ET.The government launched its second PNG adoption drive after India's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply chain came under pressure amid global uncertainties linked to the war in Iran, which disrupted shipping routes and affected LPG availability in the country.It set a target of up to 100,000 new PNG connections a day to further reduce its LPG import and subsidy burden. City gas distribution (CGD) companies responded by accelerating the rollout of PNG connections to households. The push saw the number of PNG connections added daily jump to around 10,000, up from 4,000-5,000 a month before the start of the war. However, the officials cited earlier said the ministry is dissatisfied with the progress."After seeing some traction that PNG received in the past two rounds of promoting the segment, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) is considering launching another round to promote PNG adoption," said one of the officials.The petroleum ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed query on the matter.At present, over 20 million homes in India have PNG connections. The others mostly rely on LPG for their cooking needs.The ministry is keen to push PNG adoption in cities where a CGD network is already available but still has high usage of LPG.The government is also encouraging commercial consumers such as restaurants, hotels and industrial units to switch to PNG from LPG, the officials said."Adding 100,000 connections daily is impossible. Especially given the shortage of gas plumbers and technicians," said one of the officials quoted above. "Companies are still trying their best to meet the target as much as possible." Mahanagar Gas Ltd (MGL), one of the largest CGD companies in India, said it added 95,000 household connections in the last quarter, its highest-ever quarterly addition."We can go from 1,000 connections a day to more than that as well-2,000, 3,000 also," MGL told analysts recently.
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Government weighs PNG drive 3.0 to speed up adoption; launch likely in September
INDIA BUSINESS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 11:11PM IST
The government is set to launch the PNG Drive 3.0 initiative, designed to expedite gas connections for households and industries alike. Previous drives resulted in heightened PNG adoption due to worries surrounding LPG supply. Officials are currently frustrated with their progress and goals. The ministry is determined to enhance PNG consumption in cities that already have relevant infrastructure.
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2 Planes With Same Call Sign in Phoenix Could Have Been Disastrous
GLOBAL NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 11:03PM IST
An air traffic controller noticed that two planes one departing, one landing were both flight 2482. He acted quickly to avoid confusion.
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INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 11:00PM IST
In March 2012, Anthropic CEO's wife asked Epstein whether he would want to invest in her and a colleague's businesses.
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5 shot at Virginia State University, campus lockdown lifted after 8 hours
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 10:34PM IST
A shooting involving multiple suspects and five people shot at Virginia State University prompted a campus lockdown early Saturday.
It happened near the university's Quad Annexes, where campus police and Chesterfield County officers discovered five ...
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After SC Rebuke, BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra Apologises To Nalsar Students
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 9:53PM IST
The court stayed any coercive action against students or faculty by the Bar Council of India or state bar councils, saying the BCI's action was 'absolutely uncalled for'.
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Need One Or Two Indian Pharma Firms To Be Among Global Top 5, Says Modi
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 9:32PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi on Saturday.
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'I sincerely regret': BCI chief apologises
INDIA NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 9:31PM IST
Bar Council of India chairman and Supreme Court senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra apologised on Saturday to law students who may have been hurt by his recent remarks or correspondence, saying an expression of regret should not be seen as a matter of prestige or ego."If anything connected with the present controversy, any of my words, or letter, has hurt the feelings of our law students, I sincerely regret and apologise for the same," Mishra said in an Independence Day message.He stressed that students' concerns should be heard with "patience, sensitivity and respect", adding that there should be no hesitation in apologising when someone's feelings have been hurt.The apology comes after the BCI faced criticism over its decision to initially block the enrolment of NALSAR University's 2026 graduating batch with State Bar Councils following a student campaign over Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's proposed participation in the university's convocation.The council later withdrew the restriction, saying students should not be made to suffer without fault.Mishra placed particular emphasis on the independence of law students, especially those studying at National Law Universities and other leading institutions.— ANI (@ANI) He described them as informed young citizens who are trained to understand the Constitution, the rule of law, fairness and the importance of hearing competing viewpoints before reaching conclusions."They do not require anyone to decide for them," he said, "Nor should they be subjected to pressure or influence from any quarter."According to Mishra, the choices made by students at leading law universities can have an impact well beyond individual campuses because they are closely watched across the country's legal education system.He noted that today's students will go on to become advocates, senior advocates, academics, scholars and judges, with some potentially rising to the highest positions in India's legal and judicial institutions.Mishra backs peaceful protest The BCI chairman also defended the place of disagreement and protest within a constitutional democracy. "Peaceful disagreement, questioning and protest are important features of a constitutional democracy. Students must always remain free to express their views."He said students must remain free to question decisions, express their grievances and peacefully protest. At the same time, he urged them to remain open to new information and reconsider their position if additional facts or clarifications emerge.Mishra argued that expressing a genuine grievance and subsequently examining a clarification objectively are not contradictory."At the same time, the legal tradition teaches us something equally important, namely that when further facts or clarifications emerge, every issue should be reconsidered objectively and with an open mind," he added.Appeal over convocation participationMishra also addressed the question of students participating in convocation ceremonies, describing the event as a significant milestone for graduates and their families after years of academic work.He said the decision to attend or stay away must rest entirely with individual students."No student should be compelled to attend, and no student should feel compelled to abstain," he said, urging students to consider the complete picture before making a decision.He added that a convocation is an occasion that cannot easily be recreated, making the choice particularly significant for graduating students and their families.Call for dialogue instead of escalationMishra said the relationship between the judiciary, the Bar, universities and law students extends far beyond the current dispute.While disagreements and strong opinions are inevitable, he said they should eventually be addressed through dialogue, clarification and mutual respect.The BCI chairman further cautioned against allowing the controversy to take on a political or unrelated dimension because of outside influence.He urged institutions to respect students' independence of thought and give them the space to assess the facts, consider any explanations offered and reach their own conclusions.
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Filed Your ITR On Time? Three Reasons You Still Might Get Tax Notice; What To Do Next
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 9:04PM IST
If a notice is issued, you need to first verify the authenticity of the document on the official income-tax e-filing portal.
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Ola Electric looks beyond scooters
INDIA NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 8:54PM IST
Ola Electric is expanding its battery business from just electric vehicles to a larger energy storage business and has unveiled a three-tier Shakti portfolio that will span homes, commercial facilities and grid-scale applications.The company on Saturday introduced Shakti Gen2 for homes, Shakti Rack for businesses and Mahashakti for large-scale energy storage, with the portfolio ranging from kilowatt-hour-scale residential systems to a 6.26 MWh containerised storage system.The company said the new portfolio will be built around its indigenous Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell technology. This marks an expansion of the energy platform beyond the first-generation Ola Shakti, which was launched earlier this year using Olas 4680 Bharat Cells.Ola has pitched the portfolio as part of its push towards what it calls Indias energy independence. Indias next independence will be energy independence, the company said on its Shakti website.In May, founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal had said the company saw energy storage as one of three key demand engines for its cell manufacturing business, alongside electric vehicles and external cell sales.Its parent company in May had also approved a Rs 2,000 crore investment into its wholly-owned subsidiaries focused on electric vehicle and battery manufacturing. The board had cleared a Rs 1,500 crore infusion into Ola Electric Technologies (OET) and Rs 500 crore into Ola Cell Technologies (OCT) through compulsory convertible preference shares, according to a stock exchange filing.Many use cases The company on its website claimed that for residential use cases, Shakti Gen2 can be controlled through the Shakti app and can also be integrated with solar power through the companys solar charge controller.The product photos show a compact, the design is closer to a consumer appliance than a conventional industrial battery cabinet, an attempt by Ola to make its energy storage a household product.The earlier Shakti range offered 5.2 kWh and 9.1 kWh systems, with the larger system delivering 6 kW of power and up to 1.5 hours of backup at full load. The new announcement expands the range further from 4.6 kWh to 6.26 MWh.The Mahashakti platform will allow Ola to offer commercial and utility-scale storage for manufacturing facilities, warehouses, commercial buildings, retail and data infrastructure. A Mahashakti rack has 257 kWh of energy capacity and more than 125 kW of expandable power capabilityIn its FY26 disclosures, the company said Shakti had generated more than 50,000 customer leads, with interest from telecom companies, petrol pumps, retail chains, dark stores and other commercial users. It also said Mahashakti was being developed for commercial and industrial as well as utility-scale storage.Ola Electric reported Rs 295 crore in revenue from operations in Q1 FY27, a 45% year-on-year decline, even as its net loss narrowed to Rs 336 crore from Rs 428 crore in the year-ago quarter.
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Parallels Between Formula Racing And Investing Data Is Oxygen, The Edge Is Interpretation
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 8:53PM IST
One lap never decides a championship, just like one trade never builds a portfolio. It is the telemetry, and the speed of reading it, that separates winners from the field
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Delhi To Integrate Metro, Rail, Bus Services At Three Major Transit Hubs
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 8:37PM IST
The proposed hubs will bring metro, rail, buses and other transport modes together to enable seamless interchanges and improve last-mile connectivity.
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7h
Powerful Quakes Rock Indonesia, Leaving 40 Dead On Flores Island
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 8:16PM IST
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake jolted Pematangsiantar in North Sumatra province, about 830 miles northwest of Jakarta. There were no initial reports of casualties or damage from the Sumatra temblor.
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7h
Tata Sons Annual General Meeting Next Week May Not Happen: Reports
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:59PM IST
The issue arises from the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner's May ruling prohibiting the Sir Ratan Tata Trust from holding a board meeting while an investigation into the board's makeup is conducted.
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What US isolation of Iran could look like
INDIA NEWS | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:55PM IST
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US is getting ready to squeeze Iran with unprecedented economic pressure, a claim critics greeted with skepticism given the country is already subject to a naval blockade and thousands of sanctions.While the Trump administration hasnt said what its planning to do, there are still pressure points that Bessents Treasury Department could hit. The main challenge is that targeting the remaining options risk blowback on the US economy.Also Read | Iran defiant on strait as Trump tells Americans to accept high gas pricesUnless the president decides to prioritize addressing the Iran threat over all other issues, and namely China, its unlikely any action they take is going to materially change Irans calculus, Bloomberg Economics analyst Chris Kennedy said.Below is a look at a few options. Theyre far from exhaustive and it remains unclear which, if any, the administration will pursue. Officials could combine several of these measures or opt for a different approach altogether.China TiesChina buys more than 90% of Irans oil exports. Penalties on entities that facilitate these purchases would directly reduce Tehrans oil revenues.Washington has already sanctioned some Chinese teapot refineries and firms since the US started the war against Iran in late February. But so far, the US has stopped short of targeting the major Chinese banks that finance the trade.Also Read | US pulls last aircraft carrier in Asia as Trump focuses on Iran and the Western HemisphereThe risk is that hitting Chinese companies or financial institutions risks worsening tensions with Beijing ahead of a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Theres also an economic tradeoff, since curtailing Iranian barrels would remove discounted crude from the global market and could lift already elevated oil prices.In May, China ordered domestic companies not to comply with US sanctions on five refiners, while its biggest banks were caught between Beijings directive and the risk of losing access to the US financial system.Exchange HousesThere are a number of exchange houses in countries such as the United Arab Emirates that help Iran repatriate funds. Once Iran makes its oil sales, it still needs exchanges and intermediaries to convert payments often received in Chinese yuan into currencies Tehran can actually use.Treasury has already demonstrated that it sees this as a vulnerability, sanctioning some Iranian exchange houses, as part of Bessents Economic Fury campaign, for allegedly helping to launder billions of dollars in foreign currency.Such a move would keep Iran from accessing many of its funds, but Iran has spent years building alternative channels to move money outside the formal financial system. Cutting off individual exchange houses will likely push transactions toward new intermediaries, currencies or digital assets, rather than stopping them altogether.Irans Trading Partners The US could threaten secondary sanctions on any entity doing even limited business with Iran, similar to the approach Trump took toward North Korea in 2017. That could force foreign companies and banks to choose between doing business with Iran and retaining access to the US financial system, potentially extending Washingtons leverage well beyond entities directly involved in Tehrans oil trade.Such a move could put additional pressure on Russia and China, but also on companies and financial institutions in countries around Irans borders including US partners like Turkey that maintain significant commercial ties with Tehran.Trump has already floated a version of this approach, threatening 25% tariffs on countries conducting business with Iran. So far he hasnt followed through.Overseas AssetsThe US could go beyond freezing Iranian government assets and try to confiscate assets already under US jurisdiction, drawing on a step the Bush administration took after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.However, the pool of Iranian state assets actually within US reach may be limited. And confiscating them would be legally and diplomatically more complicated than simply freezing them. Much of Irans overseas wealth is held in third countries and Washington would need cooperation from foreign governments to seize it.Shadow FleetWhile a US naval blockade has reduced traffic to Irans ports, the US may consider a more comprehensive effort. That could target not just individual vessels, but also the companies, terminals and other infrastructure that enables those shipments. The US has already sanctioned vessels and some entities involved in this so-called shadow fleet.
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8h
Israeli Airstrikes On Southern Lebanon Kills 11, Says Health Ministry
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:41PM IST
Lebanon's Health Ministry and state news agency said one of the airstrikes that targeted a home on the edge of the village of Ansar killed seven people, including three children, and wounded two. The second, on the village of Deir al-Zahrani, killed four and wounded 17.
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Fresh 6.8 magnitude tremors hit Sumatra hours after deadly quake kills 40
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:39PM IST
The Northern Sumatra earthquake struck hours after the deadly earthquake off eastern Indonesia. India Today reported the magnitude at 6.8
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8h
Iran, Oman edge closer to Hormuz shipping routes deal as war continues
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:33PM IST
The move follows a series of attacks in Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas transited before the war
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Iran, Oman Home In On Hormuz Strait Deal As Ship Attacks Mount
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:31PM IST
The finalization of a "shipping map" forms part of a broader accord to govern traffic through the strait and constitutes an independent arrangement between the two states that will uphold their sovereignty and ensure the safe transit of vessels.
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8h
India Launch Hockey World Cup Campaign With Commanding Win Over Wales
INDIA MARKET | Sat, 15 Aug 2026, 7:26PM IST
The win gives India an ideal start in Pool D. They next face England on August 17 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan on August 19.
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