The Centre has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, requiring packages of soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, other cosmetics and toiletries to display a symbol indicating whether the product is of vegetarian or non-vegetarian origin.

Under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026, notified on September 21, products of vegetarian origin must carry a green dot, while products of non-vegetarian origin must carry a red or brown dot. The symbol must appear at the top of the principal display panel of the package. The requirement applies to soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, other cosmetics and toiletries. The amendment came into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced the renewal of their existing cooperation till 2032.

The decision was made at the recently concluded International Space Summit in Paris, where the chiefs of the two space agencies signed a pact extending their long-standing cooperative agreement. At the summit held on September 9 and 10, the signatories confirmed and reaffirmed long-term commitment by both Europe and India to expanding cooperation in space.

Some of the recent engagements between the European and the Indian space agencies have been for missions Aditya-L1, Proba-3, and the upcoming Chandrayaan-5, to name a few.

According to Josef Aschbacher, Director General, ESA, the renewed agreement will help both the space agencies pursue “greater ambitions together while delivering tangible benefits for our citizens and economies “.

England fast bowler Mark Wood has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing the curtain down on a career repeatedly disrupted by injury.

Wood, 36, made his England debut in 2015 and went on to claim 119 wickets in 38 Tests. He was part of the side that regained the Ashes on home soil that year and later played key roles in England’s major white-ball triumphs.

The Durham paceman took 18 wickets during England’s 2019 World Cup-winning campaign and was also part of the squad that lifted the 2022 T20 World Cup. He finished with 80 wickets in 70 ODIs and 54 in 38 T20Is.

The government has mandated compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for smartphone screen protectors, requiring entities to secure regulatory approval before selling such products in India.

The move is expected to curb sales of low-quality smartphone screen protectors and help domestic manufacturers like Optiemus Infracom, which has started production in India.

"The provisions of Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, shall apply to the goods or articles as specified in column 2 (Screen Protectors for smartphones), added to the schedule of the said order by virtue of this notification, for conforming to the corresponding Indian standard as specified in column 3 IS 19348:2025), with effect from 1st April, 2027," a notification dated September 21 said.

Marathi film “Gondhal” has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars 2027, the Film Federation of India announced on Friday.

Written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, the film is set in rural Maharashtra and plays out over a night of a traditional ritual centred around a newly-wed couple.

The film was chosen as India’s submission for Best International Feature category for the 99th Academy Awards from a list of 33 films, said P Sheshadri, chairperson of the selection committee.

“This year we’ve had four Marathi films, 14 Hindi films, and others films, all the films were good. It’s a happy moment for Indian cinema, for Marathi cinema. This time the official entry is ‘Gondhal’,” Sheshadri said at a press conference in Mumbai.

After being announced as the Indian contingent's male flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony, Indian kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat expressed happiness at the moment, pointing how despite all the fatigue and lack of sleep, he feels energised by the thought of carrying the national flag in his hand during the ceremony.

Pawan, on Saturday, was announced to replace two-time Asian Games gold medalist shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor as India's male flag-bearer for the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony due to technical issues, alongside double Olympic medalist Manu Bhaker.

The 2022 Asian Games gold medalist said that carrying the national flag in his hand is a moment of "immense pride" for him, despite all the fatigue caused by gym/training sessions and lack of sleep, the thought of carrying the tricolour in his hands keeps him energised.

Karnataka government has approved Karnataka Marine Biotechnology Policy 2026-2031, a five-year framework aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the state’s marine and coastal resources and building Karnataka into a hub for marine biotechnology and the Blue Bioeconomy.

With a 343.3-km coastline, established marine science and fisheries institutions, a growing biotechnology ecosystem and a strong base of scientific talent, the state aims to move beyond traditional coastal activities towards high-value applications in marine biotechnology, biomanufacturing, seaweed-based products, marine biomaterials and sustainable marine enterprises.

The policy targets growth of Karnataka’s Blue Bioeconomy from approximately $2 billion to $6-8 billion by 2031. It seeks to translate marine research into commercial applications, strengthen coastal innovation infrastructure, create new enterprises and employment opportunities, and promote sustainable use of marine resources.

India’s 15-year-old shooter Yugan Sakthivel Muthukumaar clinched the gold medal in the men’s trap event at the ISSF Junior World Cup Shotgun 2026 in Porpetto, Italy.

Yugan produced a strong performance in the eight-shooter final, hitting 27 of 30 targets to finish at the top. He edged Italy’s Francesco Tanfoglio by one target to secure India’s first medal at the Porpetto competition.

Yugan had qualified for the final in sixth position with a score of 114 out of 125. He secured his place in the medal round after prevailing in a shoot-off.

Among the other Indian shooters in the men’s trap qualification, Arjun and Vinay Pratap Singh Chandrawat finished 12th and 13th respectively, with scores of 112. Udhav Singh Rathore finished 16th with 111.

Diplomat Hansraj Singh Verma has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Cuba, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

Hansraj Singh Verma, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 2008 batch, is currently serving as the Consul General of India at the Consulate General of India in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the senior diplomat is expected to take up his new assignment in Havana shortly.

According to the Consulate General of India in Sao Paulo, Brazil, prior to the current assignment, he was Counsellor in-charge for Political and Commercial Affairs at the Embassy of India, Buenos Aires.

Anthropic and Accenture will each invest at least USD 1 billion over the next five years to expand independent evaluation of Anthropic’s frontier AI models, as pressure grows on AI developers to demonstrate that capable systems are safe and reliable.

The partnership will focus on evaluating and red-teaming Anthropic’s AI models, conducting alignment assessments and testing safeguards. Accenture’s specialist AI business Faculty will lead the work, according to the companies.

The partnership is also a key step towards implementing Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s proposal to “pace the frontier” of AI development, under which the company has called for stronger independent oversight as AI systems become more capable.