The world’s first stablecoin pegged to the yen will be launched in Japan on Monday, a small but significant move in a country where traditional payment means like cash and credit cards dominate financial infrastructure.

A Japanese startup, JPYC, said it will begin issuing stablecoins that are fully convertible to the yen and backed by domestic savings and Japanese government bonds (JGB).

The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s support for the sector that has sparked a revival of interest in the idea of using blockchain in the mainstream financial system. China, too, is considering allowing usage of yuan-backed stablecoins, a sign of growing momentum worldwide of the use of the digital currency - typically pegged to a fiat currency and offering faster and cheaper transactions.

Hong Kong startup Stellerus aims to create a constellation of satellites to become the world’s first provider of three-dimensional wind data provided by the devices, according to the South China Morning Post.

Stellerus, founded in 2023 by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology academics, plans to launch a pair of satellites in the next 18 months, followed by five more, Chief Executive Officer David Liu told the SCMP.

The satellites should be able to provide global coverage of data that could be supplied to the aviation, shipping and insurance industries, the report cited Liu as saying. It could also be used by wind-farm operators, he said, according to the newspaper.

The 3D data captures wind direction and speed, together with altitude changes, and is key to improving weather forecasting, which has become more important given the increasing odds of extreme events caused by climate change.

The World Bank has approved a USD 400 million (around Rs 3,400 crore) loan to support the Kerala Health System Improvement Programme under the state Health Department.

About 70 per cent of the funding, or USD 280 million (Rs 2,400 crore), will come from the World Bank, with the rest provided by the state government.

The project, backed by financial assistance of 400 million US dollars (around Rs 3,400 crore), aims to strengthen Kerala's public health systems and improve their efficiency, an official release said here on Monday.

Of this, 70 per cent (280 million dollars or around Rs 2,400 crore) will be funded by the World Bank, while the rest will be provided by the state government.

In a bid to promote tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, passenger vessel 'Sindhu' has completed its maiden voyage to Barren Island — the only active volcano in the Indian subcontinent, and returned to Haddo Wharf in Port Blair, an official said on Sunday (October 26, 2025).

Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar flagged off the ship around 9 p.m. on October 24, 2025. Nearly 140 km away from Port Blair by sea, the uninhabited Barren Island lies at the junction of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates.

"The ship returned safely with all tourists and school children on Saturday (October 25, 2025). This is the first time the Union Territory Administration has launched this service for travellers to visit the island," Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar told PTI.

K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan, eminent plastic and reconstructive surgeon and pioneer of burn care in South India, died in Chennai on Monday (October 27, 2025) due to complications of old age, a note from her family said. She was 91.

Born in 1934, Prof. Mathangi completed her MBBS from Madras Medical College, Chennai. She pursued her advanced training in plastic and reconstructive surgery in the United Kingdom and in Maryland, United States.

She established the plastic surgery department and burns unit at Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC), Chennai — one of the foremost government centres in India dedicated to comprehensive burn care and rehabilitation, and one that continues to remain Tamil Nadu’s nodal government burns unit.

Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 commenced today with the administering of the integrity pledge to the officials of the Commission by the Commission – Shri Praveen Kumar Srivastava, Central Vigilance Commissioner and Shri A.S. Rajeev, Vigilance Commissioner at 11 am at Satarkata Bhawan, New Delhi.

Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 is being observed from 27th October to 2nd November 2025 on the theme “Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility”. Since last few years, the Commission has been running a three-month campaign associated with the Vigilance Awareness Week. This year, the campaign is being undertaken from 18th August to 17th November, 2025, during which all Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of the Central Government are undertaking action on five different focus areas namely:

a) Disposal of pending complaints received before 30.06.2025,

b) Disposal of pending cases,

c) Capacity Building Programs,

d) Asset Management, and

e) Digital initiatives.

It is believed that focus on these areas will have meaningful impact on vigilance administration.

As part of the Vigilance Awareness Week 2025, the Commission will also be having a one-day workshop on “AI and Emerging Technol ogies for Ethical Governance” on 31st October 2025.

Audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge since they reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities. They help us grow and comprehend the world we all share. Conserving this heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is a vital goal for all memory institutions as well as the public at large. The UNESCO Archives has launched the project "Digitizing our shared UNESCO history" with this very goal in mind.

The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is a commemoration of the adoption, in 1980 by the 21st General Conference, of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images. The World Day provides an occasion to raise general awareness of the need to take urgent measures and to acknowledge the importance of audiovisual documents.

Reliance Industries has announced that it has formed a new joint venture with Meta in a deal worth Rs 855 crore, to build and scale enterprise AI solutions for customers in India and select international markets.

The new entity, named Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Limited (REIL), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Intelligence Limited, which is a joint venture by Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and Meta Platforms. Both companies have jointly committed an initial investment of Rs 855 crore in REIL.

Of this, Reliance Intelligence will put up Rs 2 crore in the new entity, holding a 70 per cent stake while Meta Platform’s Facebook Overseas will own the remaining 30 per cent of REIL, according to a stock exchange filing dated October 25, 2025.

Tourists and pilgrims flocking to the scenic valleys of Uttarakhand will soon face a new levy: a mandatory 'green cess' fee for vehicles entering the state from other regions.

The Uttarakhand government has finalised plans to implement this environmental charge from December 2025.

The decision aims to generate revenue specifically for environmental protection and infrastructure improvement within the ecologically sensitive Himalayan state.

"Starting December 2025, green cess will be collected from vehicles entering Uttarakhand from other states," confirmed S.K. Singh, Additional Commissioner of the Transport Department.

He detailed that the fee collection will be automated, deducted directly via the vehicle's existing FASTag system. To ensure seamless monitoring of the collection process, the state has installed Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at 16 strategic entry points across state borders.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai has recommended Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge after him, as his successor to the Centre. Justice BR Gavai's term is set to end on November 23.

Once the recommendation gets a go-ahead from the Law Ministry, Justice Surya Kant will become the 53rd CJI and is expected to serve till February 9, 2027 - a tenure of about 14 months. It is an established convention that the senior-most judge is elevated as the Chief Justice.

If he is elevated as CJI, Justice Kant will be the first from Haryana to occupy the top judicial post.