A sea of colourful flowers, folk music and traditional performances turned the Hussain Sagar waterfront into a vibrant celebration of Telangana’s cultural identity as Saddula Bathukamma festivities unfolded at Tank Bund on Sunday.

The celebrations featured 700 Bathukammas and around 700 artistes presenting 30 folk art forms. Women gathered along the lake with their floral arrangements as traditional songs and dances brought the State’s cultural heritage to life. A laser show and fireworks were among the planned attractions.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka attended the event, along with Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and actors Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna.

Founding vice-chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), Prof B Madhusoodana Kurup, has passed away. He was 71. A distinguished fisheries scientist, dedicated teacher and visionary institution builder, he leaves behind a lasting legacy in aquatic biodiversity research and university leadership.

Prof Kurup played a pivotal role in laying the academic and administrative foundations of Kufos — India’s first university dedicated to fisheries and ocean studies. His vision helped shape an institution committed to education, research and service to communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on aquatic ecosystems.

He subsequently served as the third VC of Shri Venkateshwara University, Uttar Pradesh.Over a career spanning four decades, his research advanced our understanding of the ecology, biodiversity and fisheries of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and marine waters. His work, and that of the students he mentored, made enduring contributions to the study of Keralam’s aquatic ecosystems, both inland and marine.

India's Sheetal Devi and Toman Kumar set a new world record in the para compound mixed team ranking round at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, combining for a score of 1,402 points to surpass the previous mark of 1,400.

Toman shot 698 out of a possible 720 in the men's compound ranking round to finish third in the individual standings, while Sheetal contributed 704 points in the women's qualification round at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square.

Their combined score bettered the previous world record of 1,400 points, set by Sheetal and Rakesh Kumar at the World Para Archery Series in Ahmedabad earlier this year. The Indian duo secured the top seed for the mixed team event and will enter the medal competition among the favourites for gold.

India’s Amruta Pujari has won a silver medal in the women’s 72-kilogram category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, United States. She lost to Ukraine’s Iryna Zablotska 0-6 in the gold-medal bout to finish second today.

Earlier, Komal won a bronze medal in the women’s 59-kilogram category yesterday.

Kenya’s Charles Matata broke the course record to win the men’s elite race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon today, while Ethiopia’s Wudinesh Alemu claimed the women’s title. Matata clocked 58 minutes, 52 seconds over the 21.097-kilometre course, shaving one second off the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn in 2020.

Matata set the record to earn an additional 12,000 dollars on top of the 27,000 dollar winner’s prize. Kenya swept the men’s podium, with Samwel Nyamai Mailu finishing second in 59 minutes, 24 seconds and Stanley Waithaka Mburu third in 59 minutes, 33 seconds.

Alemu won the women’s race in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 35 seconds. Kenya’s Selah Businei finished second in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 1 second, followed by Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 32 seconds.

Dr. Sudha Yadav today assumed office as the Governor of Karnataka at a swearing-in ceremony held at Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Vibhu Bakhru, administered the oath of office to her.

Outgoing Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot was present at the ceremony, along with Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, ministers and other dignitaries. Dr Yadav is the wife of Sukhbir Singh Yadav, a Deputy Commandant in the Border Security Force (BSF), who was martyred during the 1999 Kargil War.

A former Parliamentarian from Haryana, Dr Sudha Yadav is the second woman to serve as Governor of Karnataka, after V. S. Ramadevi, who held the office from 1999 to 2002.

Last year, in October 2025, the Indian passport was ranked 85th at the Henley Passport Index. And now, as per the latest October 2026 ranking, India has climbed one spot to 84th place. The country shares the position with Algeria and Mauritania.

The release, which was published on October 9, states that Indian passport holders can now visit 55 countries without getting a visa prior to travelling. But, as compared to October last year, the number of destinations has fallen from 57.

As for global rankings, Singapore leads the listing with access to 193 destinations. This is followed by Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates - all of which share second place with 188 destinations each. Check Latest List

An eighth-grade Indian-origin student from Connecticut has developed a science-based solution to fight ocean acidification, earning her the top prize in the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge and a cash award of $25,000.

Raji Doshi, who lives in Farmington and attends Stanford Online High School, was named America’s Top Young Scientist after presenting a system that combines algae cultivation with aragonite, a natural form of calcium carbonate, to reduce carbon dioxide in seawater and increase its alkalinity, an official news release stated.

The 2026 competition concluded with final events at 3M’s global headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 12 and 13. Doshi competed against nine other finalists, aged 11 to 14, who developed science-based solutions to everyday problems.

Her project, called ALKACORE, explores whether growing macroalgae alongside natural calcium carbonate buffers can provide a durable and affordable way to reduce coastal ocean acidification, which threatens marine ecosystems and shell-forming organisms.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed a series of Crew Module (CM)-Service Module (SM) separation tests for the Gaganyaan programme, validating the design adequacy of the separation system ahead of the first uncrewed mission, G1, which is targeted for launch in 2026.

The Gaganyaan Orbital Module comprises the Crew Module and the Service Module, which are connected through a separation system. Electrical and fluid servicing between the two modules is ensured through umbilical connections.

The modules are integrated before launch and function as a single unit from launch until the completion of the on-orbit phase of the mission. Before re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, the Crew Module separates from the Service Module through a series of precisely sequenced events involving pyrotechnic devices and jettisoning systems.

Sudhakar Dalela, presently Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs who led the negotiations for the BRICS declaration, has been appointed as India’s next envoy to Nepal.

He will succeed Naveen Srivastava, who recently completed his three-year term and retired. A day earlier, Nepal had cleared the name of Nischal Nath Pandey as Nepal’s ambassador to India.

The appointments come in the wake of New Delhi and Kathmandu engaging to work out the first bilateral visit of Prime Minister Balen Shah to India next month.