Arming retailers with the power of Agentic AI, Google has launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which allows retailers to set up relevant offers to feature in their campaign settings. Google will use AI to determine when an offer is relevant to display.

UCP will also introduce a new checkout feature for eligible Google product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, allowing shoppers to check out from selected retailers as they research on Google. Some of the features are currently available in the US.

The new open standard for agentic commerce works across the entire shopping journey – from discovery and buying to post-purchase support.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight-tested the third-generation Fire & Forget Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile, or MPATGM, with top attack capability against a moving target. The test was conducted yesterday at the KK Ranges in Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra. The fire-and-forget missile, developed indigenously by DRDO, is equipped with state-of-the-art indigenous technologies, including an Imaging Infrared homing seeker, tandem warhead, all-electric control actuation system, fire control system, propulsion system and a high-performance sighting system.

The missile is capable of day and night combat operations and can effectively defeat modern main battle tanks. It can be launched from a tripod as well as a military vehicle launcher.

The Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after the people's leader, late D B Patil, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, asserting that the facility will play a key role in the region's economic expansion.

Addressing a public meeting in Airoli during the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation election campaign, Fadnavis said, "The international airport started in Navi Mumbai will be named after the people's leader late D B Patil," and added that the project would strengthen growth in multiple sectors.

India is poised to become a full member of the US-led strategic group Pax Silica, with a formal invitation expected next month, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor revealed during his visit to New Delhi.

The move strengthens India-US cooperation in tech areas such as critical minerals, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence to create a safe and strong global silicon and technology ecosystem.

Contaminated water is one of the most pressing social and healthcare issues in India today. The recent deaths of more than 15 people in India, considered the cleanest in India, after drinking contaminated water, have led to a lot of questions regarding what people are drinking, despite access to safe water being a right. While most Indian cities have unsafe tap water for consumption, Puri, in Odisha, has become the first city where you can consume tap water directly, without any side effects.

According to the city’s management, the water here meets all standards that have been set by the Bureau of Indian Standards, or the BIS, marking a significant achievement in terms of both public health and safety, along with environmental sustainability.

India has entered high-level discussions on critical minerals in Washington, signaling a deeper alignment with the US and G7 economies as they seek to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains.

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to participate in a critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The meeting is being held on the sidelines of a gathering of finance ministers from the Group of Seven, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, along with the European Union. India and Australia have also been invited.

“Arrived in Washington, DC. Will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting tomorrow. Secure critical mineral supply chains are vital for our goal of Viksit Bharat,” Vaishnaw said in a social media post.

Professor Nalini Joshi AO, an Indian-origin mathematician, has been named the 2025 New South Wales (NSW) Scientist of the Year.

This marks the first time a mathematician has claimed the state's highest scientific honour, presented at Government House in Sydney on November 19, 2025 as part of the NSW Premier's Prizes for Science.

Joshi, the Payne-Scott Professor and Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Sydney, is renowned for her pioneering work in integrable systems. Her research delves into complex mathematical patterns that define phenomena from climate science to fibre optics.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the 47th National Junior Boys Handball Championship on Saturday at a government school in Pitampura.

The event, organised by the Handball Federation of India (HFI) and the Delhi Handball Association, was attended by HFI President Shri Mahesh Kumar and local officials. Speaking to athletes from across India, the Chief Minister announced a cash prize of ₹1 lakh for the winning team.

Rekha Gupta highlighted recent shifts in the capital’s sports policy, noting that allowances for state-level players have been increased to remove financial barriers to training. She reiterated the government’s commitment to nurturing talent from the school level through enhanced financial assistance.

A team of scientists led by ‘Frogman of India’ S D Biju has discovered two new frog species. One of the species, found from the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, has been named after Kerala journalist E Somanath, who passed away in 2022.

The new species, ‘Soman’s Slender Arm Frog’ (Leptobrachium soman), was discovered from Tiwarigaon in Arunachal Pradesh.

The other species, ‘Mechuka Slender Arm Frog’ (Leptobrachium mechuka), was also found in the evergreen forests and adjacent grassland. This species is named after Mechuka, a small town in Arunachal Pradesh, where it was first collected.

The Ministry of Textiles unveiled the District-Led Textiles Transformation initiative at the National Textile Ministers Conference in Guwahati on 8th of January, 2026. According to the Ministry of Textiles, it is a strategic initiative designed to catalyse inclusive and sustainable growth across the country’s textile landscape. The move will also help boost exports and create job opportunities. Under the initiative, districts were categorised into Champion Districts and Aspirational Districts.

Champion districts will focus on removing advanced bottlenecks. Interventions include upgrading to Mega Common Facility Centres, integrating Industry 4.0, and facilitating direct Export Market Linkages. The Aspirational Districts would aim to build the ecosystem from the ground up in setting up the foundation and formalisation of the workforce.