A large number of people gathered at various temples across India on October 3 to offer prayers marking the first day of the nine-day Navratri festival.

Watch: Devotees offer prayers across India on first day of Navratri 2024

JK Cement Ltd on Saturday reported a 75.4 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 324.25 crore for the June quarter of 2025-26 compared to Rs 184.82 crore in the April-June period a year ago.
Its revenue from operations rose by 19.4 per cent to Rs 3,352.53 crore in the June quarter compared to Rs 2,807.57 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, according to a regulatory filing from JK Cement Ltd (JKCL).
Total expenses were at Rs 2,919.83 crore, up 13.2 per cent in the June quarter.
The total income of JKCL, which includes other income, was at Rs 3,408.97 crore, up 19.5 per cent in the June quarter.
Meanwhile, in a separate filing, JKCL said its board in a meeting held on Saturday approved the company's expansion by setting up of 0.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) white cement-based wall putty plant near Nathdwara, District Rajasmand of Rajasthan.
"The total proposed investment for the expansion is estimated at Rs 195 crore," it said.
The board also took note

Its revenue from operations rose by 19.4 per cent to Rs 3,352.53 crore in the June quarter compared to Rs 2,807.57 crore in the corresponding period a year ago

State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank on Saturday reported a 48 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 269 crore during the first quarter of this financial year, aided by improvement in core income and decline in bad debts.
The lender had earned a net profit of Rs 182 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.
The total income rose to Rs 3,379 crore during the June 2025 quarter from Rs 2,846 crore in the same quarter of FY25, Punjab & Sind Bank said in a regulatory filing.
Interest earned by the bank improved to Rs 2,911 crore compared to Rs 2,652 crore in the June quarter of FY25.
During the period, the operating profit of the bank increased to Rs 540 crore compared to Rs 317 crore a year ago.
The bank's asset quality showed improvement as gross non-performing assets (NPAs) declined to 3.34 per cent of gross advances at the end of the June quarter from 4.72 per cent a year ago.
Its gross advance increased by 14 per cent to Rs 99,950 crore from Rs 87,738 crore at the end of ...

The total income rose to Rs 3,379 crore during the June 2025 quarter from Rs 2,846 crore in the same quarter of FY25, Punjab & Sind Bank said in a regulatory filing

Consumer electronics maker Samsung on Saturday said it has received 2.1 lakh pre-orders for the latest seventh generation of its foldable smartphone series within 48 hours of its launch in India.
Samsung's seventh generation of foldable smartphone series was launched in India on Jul 9, 2025.
Samsung, which last week launched Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 FE smartphones, said this huge number of pre-orders signals "huge consumer demand and excitement for the brand's seventh generation of foldable".
It is "nearly equalling the pre-orders received for the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year", Samsung Electronics said in a statement.
Samsung had received a record 4.3 lakh pre-orders for its smartphone Galaxy S25, in a nearly three-week period after the launch.
For the first 48 hours, the number of pre-orders for S25 and Fold7/Flip7 is almost identical.
The company priced these Made-in-India foldable smartphones between Rs 89,000 and Rs 2.11 lakh.
Galaxy Z Fold7 .

Galaxy Z Fold7 starting from Rs 1.75 lakh and going up to Rs 2.11 lakh. Galaxy Z Flip7 is priced between Rs 1.10 lakh and Rs 1.22 lakh

Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the country's first domestically produced semiconductor chip is expected to be released this year.
Speaking at the 85th foundation day celebrations of Keshav Memorial Educational Society here on Friday, he said India is poised to become a significant global player in the semiconductor industry.
Today, some of the most complex chips are designed in cities, including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Gurugram and Chennai, he said.
"Now, we are starting the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. We have already approved six semiconductor plants. Their construction is going on. We will have the first Made in India chip in 2025," he said.
The union minister said, as part of the India AI Mission, free datasets and others are being uploaded. As many as one million people are being trained in the use of AI.
Vaishnaw also said India would be among the top two economies in the world by 2047.
Noting that the world is g

The union minister said, as part of the India AI Mission, free datasets and others are being uploaded and as many as one million people are being trained in the use of AI

In a measure to boost the hospitality sector in the national capital, the Delhi government is likely to soon do away with the requirement of obtaining a health trade licence from the civic body for opening restaurants and eateries in the city.
Lt Governor V K Saxena, speaking at the "Expresso" event hosted by The Indian Express on Friday, said the requirement of the license for opening restaurants in the city is being abolished.
No immediate reaction from the Delhi government or the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was available on the development.
Recently, the Delhi government did away with the need to obtain 'Eating House Registration and Lodging Certificate' from the police by hotels, clubs, restaurants and guest houses for getting a license to serve liquor.
The L-G, last month, withdrew the sanction granted to the Delhi Police Commissioner for the issuance of the eating house registration certificate under an ease-of-doing-business initiative.
Speaking at the "Expresso" .

No immediate reaction from the Delhi government or the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was available on the development

Four people travelling in Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's escort vehicle were injured when it toppled at Srirangapatna taluk here on Saturday, officials said.
The incident occurred near T M Hosuru gate when Shivakumar was returning to Bengaluru in a convoy after attending a convention in Mysuru, they said.
According to police officials, the driver of the escort vehicle allegedly lost control, leaving four people injured. The impact of the accident was such that the vehicle toppled. The vehicle was partially damaged.
Those injured were given first aid and later rushed to a hospital for further treatment, a senior police officer said.

The incident occurred near T M Hosuru gate when Shivakumar was returning to Bengaluru in a convoy after attending a convention in Mysuru, they said

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Friday presented a Rs 40,187 crore-budget for the megapolis.
Infrastructure spends across projects have been pegged at Rs 35,151 crore or 87 per cent of the overall expenditure, as per an official statement. The revenues have been estimated at Rs 36,939 crore, and the body chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will be borrowing Rs 22,000 crore.
This will result in a budget deficit of Rs 3,249 crore, which the body plans to bridge through land sales, issuance of bonds, financial assistance from the government, and loans from financial institutions, the statement said.
The ongoing metro line projects have been earmarked Rs 10,969 crore of expenditure in the new fiscal, which is a fourth of the overall expenditure..
Over Rs 5,697 crore have been allotted for multiple tunnel projects which are going across the megapolis, with Rs 2,684 crore earmarked for the four-lane road running under the Sanjay Gandhi National 

Infrastructure spends across projects have been pegged at Rs 35,151 crore or 87 per cent of the overall expenditure, as per an official statement

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday returned the Finance Bill 2025 to the Lok Sabha, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements, thus completing the 2025-26 budgetary exercise that started on February 1.
The House also returned the Appropriation Bill (3) with a voice vote.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had moved the two bills in the House.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Finance Bill on March 25 and passed the Appropriation Bill on March 21.
Replying to the debate later in the evening, she said the tendency of the finance ministry would be to exercise caution and not let go of revenues.
"But, here we wanted to use this opportunity to show our respect for Indian taxpayer. We have moved towards setting Rs 12 lakh as threshold up to which no one will have to pay any tax," Sitharaman said.
The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 lakh crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent ov

The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 trillion, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the current fiscal

Russia-Ukraine War

The year 2022 is coming to an end and a lot has happened that shaped the world in the year. Let's have a look at some of these significant events

Google Messages

In January, Google rolled out end-to-end encryption in group chats for messages app users enrolled in the beta programme

Blend launches Blend Studio: AI tool for ecommerce photography

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI/PNN): Blend, an AI-powered design and photography application for DTC brands and ecommerce sellers, recently launched Blend Studio - the Chat GPT for product photos.

Celebrity and Travel Photographer Rahul Lokare from Flamingo Productions creates waves of change in the world of photography.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Priced at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a novel imaging experience on top of a premium package

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine&amp;#39;s capital, Kyiv, from the north in an attempt to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky&amp;#39;s government. In the months following, artillery bombardment and street fighting continued, with Russia seizing multiple cities.

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After a slew of scandals in his term spanning three years, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office in July. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, who took over the office in September.
						
						But after 45 days in the office, she resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history. Her budgetary plans, at the centre of which were tax cut plans, had crashed the markets, making her lose the confidence of almost all her own MPs.
						
						In the days that followed, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain&amp;#39;s 57th prime minister and vowed to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor, Liz Truss.

Russia Invades Ukraine

In April, protests began in the nation following a sharp rise in food and fuel costs. Thousands demanded the resignation of now-ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The people faced long power cuts daily and shortages of basics, including fuel and food. Sri Lanka&amp;#39;s doctors said they were nearly out of life-saving medicines.
						
						Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s government was being blamed for the chronic mismanagement of the country&amp;#39;s finances. In July, protestors stormed Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s home, pushing him to flee the nation before resigning from office.

UK&amp;#39;s political crisis

In September, 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran&amp;#39;s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Authorities said she died of illness, but her family claimed she fell into a coma after being mistreated by the police. Sources said the police beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Protests sparked by her demise have since roped in ethnic minorities and even school children. Thousands of women since then have been showing solidarity by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in public.
						
						Now, the unrest has spread beyond a women&amp;#39;s right to a movement that is calling for an end to theocratic rule. The protests are now the most broadly supported movement in Iran in over four decades.

Sri Lanka economic crisis

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term in office. He became the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get a third term in power.
						
						This came as China&amp;#39;s economy was running out of steam after decades of high growth. Many expect Xi&amp;#39;s third term may see China revert to more old-school economic management, focusing on shoring up the heavy industry and continuing a crackdown on big tech.

Uprising mounts again in Iran

In a historic first, rich countries agreed to pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. For 30 years, developing nations have been calling for developed countries to compensate for the costs of climate disasters caused by climate change. And rich nations that caused the pollution resisted the demand. But this changed in 2022.

Chinese President Xi Jinping starts record third term in power

In 2022, inflation was rising worldwide, with food and energy prices hitting record highs. The hike was mainly driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and Russia&amp;#39;s invasion of Ukraine. As the pandemic waned, people wanted to return to normalcy and spend more. This led to companies demanding higher prices. Companies also hired more to serve the pent-up demand. They had to increase wages to attract workers and raise prices to compensate for that.

A landmark deal UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

In September, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain&amp;#39;s longest-serving monarch, died at 96 after reigning for 70 years. Many said her death would mark a turning point for commonwealth nations as many may disassociate themselves.

The global economy at crossroads

In October, Brazil&amp;#39;s former president, Luiz In&amp;aacute;cio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the country&amp;#39;s closest presidential race in history. Silva&amp;#39;s win marked Latin America&amp;#39;s shift to the left and pointed to an extraordinary comeback for a man in jail for corruption three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II dies

In October, billionaire Elon Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter after months of dilly-dallying, drama and a lawsuit. The Tesla owner&amp;#39;s Twitter takeover is also one of the biggest tech acquisitions of all time. May fear that Musk&amp;#39;s takeover may turn the social media giant into a hotbed of hate speech.
					
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Watch: Devotees offer prayers across India on first day of Navratri 2024

A large number of people gathered at various temples across India on October 3 to offer prayers marking the first day of the nine-day Navratri festival.

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