Business & Finance
Apple has launched Apple Pay in India, nine years after its US debut, initially supporting only Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Users can tap to pay on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch; UPI support is missing at launch.
Photo: Donald Trung Quoc Don / Wikimedia Commons
India
Captain Smit Machchhar, who grew up in Mumbai, was attacked by his co-pilot on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which diverted to Tabuk. Leaders in India and Israel have credited him with saving everyone on board.
Photo: Bahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Politics
Both seats fell vacant when AIADMK MLAs elected in April resigned and joined the ruling TVK on the same day. On October 6 they seek re-election on the TVK ticket against the DMK, the AIADMK, the NTK and the Left.
Photo: Shagil Kannur / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
International
Seven months after the United States went to war with Iran, negotiators met in New York in the first talks since June. President Trump rejected Tehran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the US naval blockade.
Photo: White House / Wikimedia Commons
Tamil Nadu
The first Phase II stretch will run non-stop from Porur to Vadapalani while six stations are still being built. Separately, the State is preparing to hand the MRTS to Chennai Metro Rail by December.
Photo: KARTY JazZ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Editorial
Cover story
Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days in exchange for an end to the US naval blockade, sanctions relief and the release of $12bn in frozen assets. Trump rejected it. As a third US aircraft carrier heads for the Gulf, nearly 70% of Americans say the war is not worth fighting.
· 2 min read
Lovlina Borgohain beat China's Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the women's 75kg final on Friday, becoming only the second Indian woman after Mary Kom to win Asian Games boxing gold. With a sailing bronze for Nethra Kumanan and gold-medal bouts still to come in boxing, hockey and archery, India is chasing a record Day 14.
· 1 min read
A 20-foot-deep crater opened on Perambur Barracks Road on September 30, damaging a sewer line — the second collapse on the road in weeks. As north Chennai's 50-year-old sewer network gives way, the cave-in sharpens questions about the TVK government's delivery on its infrastructure promises.
· 1 min read
Meeting in Milwaukee, G20 trade ministers agreed to denounce the weaponisation of food through coercive trade actions — but could not reach consensus on denouncing forced labour in supply chains or on structural excess industrial capacity, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.
· 1 min read
The rupee ended Thursday down 0.5% at 96.3150 per dollar — its sharpest single-day fall in over two months — as global bond yields hit decadal highs and Brent crude reclaimed $100 a barrel. State-run banks' dollar sales limited the fall, but foreign outflows and costlier imports keep the pressure on.
· 1 min read
New direction boards on the Sathankulam–Nazareth stretch of State Highway 93 carry destination names in Tamil, English and Hindi, triggering a language controversy. DMK president M.K. Stalin accused the TVK government of doing what it once condemned — and reports suggest the Hindi text has since been removed from the board.
· 1 min read
The Election Commission has directed Tamil Nadu's electoral machinery to launch a special drive enrolling young, first-time and left-out electors after the Special Intensive Revision — a move that comes amid opposition charges that the exercise struck lakhs of voters off the rolls.
· 2 min read
India's gross GST collections rose 14.7% year-on-year to about ₹2.04 lakh crore in September, the third straight month above the ₹2 lakh-crore mark. Tamil Nadu bucked the trend: its domestic collections fell 5% to ₹10,188 crore, making it the only major state in the red.
· 2 min read
Chennai's Special POCSO Court has rejected the bail pleas of Shanti, 60, and her husband Mahendra Simhan, 63, arrested alongside Gem Granites proprietor R. Veeramani in the alleged child-abuse case. The court cited pending forensic examination of seized devices, flight risk and the risk of witness intimidation.
· 2 min read
A day after the opposition announced a joint agitation over the SIR exercise, the TMC chairperson said the bloc was "like a family", dismissed talk of individual decisions, and reached out to leaders from Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar to M K Stalin.
· 1 min read
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called the US an "insensitive partner" on terrorism, accused it of warming to Pakistan and pursuing "self-centred" trade policies — a new blunt edge in New Delhi's dealings with the Trump administration.
· 2 min read
Top leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met in New Delhi to finalise a joint agitation over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and to press for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. A day later, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee called it "a collective fight".
· 2 min read
Eight teenagers from a private coaching academy in Pune drowned off Diveagar beach in Raigad district on Thursday after misjudging the tides. Police said 48 students and teachers were on the picnic trip.
· 1 min read
Rising energy costs, the strongest El Nino since 1950 and soaring borrowing costs are pushing developing countries toward the kind of distress last seen in the pandemic, the UNDP chief said on Friday — warning of a domino effect across some 100 countries.
· 2 min read
All FZ1073 passengers have left Saudi Arabia for Israel after the cockpit attack that diverted their Dubai–Tel Aviv flight; Riyadh turned down an Israeli rescue flight, and Netanyahu ordered tighter airline security.
· 2 min read
At least five Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Wednesday, medics said, as Gaza health officials put the number killed since the October 2025 US-brokered ceasefire at over 1,400 — mostly civilians.
· 1 min read
A British-Iranian man was arrested in London on Thursday over a suspected terror plot near the US-used airbase, after the Prime Minister said there were "strong indications" of Iranian involvement. Tehran denies any role.
· 2 min read
Delhi Police have denied permission for a protest planned at Jantar Mantar on Thursday against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, barricading the area and imposing Section 163 as the SIR voter-roll row deepens.
· 2 min read
With polling four days away, the ruling TVK, the DMK and the AIADMK are trading charges of horse-trading, coordinated smear campaigns and "reels" governance in two constituencies the Chief Minister's party cannot afford to lose.
· 2 min read
Police told the Madras High Court there was no prima facie evidence against TVK executive and former minister C. Vijayabaskar in a ₹4-crore fraud complaint, and the court closed the plea seeking action against him.
· 1 min read
Led by the CPI(M), Left parties held demonstrations across Tamil Nadu on Thursday demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's removal and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, alleging 13 crore voters have been disenfranchised.
· 2 min read
Chennai's Special POCSO Court has rejected the bail pleas of Shanti, 60, and her husband Mahendra Simhan, 63, arrested alongside Gem Granites proprietor R. Veeramani in the alleged child-abuse case. The court cited pending forensic examination of seized devices, flight risk and the risk of witness intimidation.
· 2 min read
Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Amalraj has ordered the preventive detention of R. Veeramani, 84, and associates Shanthi and Mahendra Simhan, saying they posed a threat to public order. Four cases are under investigation; a WhatsApp tip line is open.
· 2 min read
Country-made crackers stored on the first floor of a house in Pandamangalam exploded around 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The shop owner, his wife and a worker were killed; police feared more people might still be under the debris as rescue teams worked past nightfall.
· 2 min read
Justice V. Lakshminarayanan said the police had no "magic wand" to crack the case within four days of forming a Special Investigation Team, and ordered a status report by October 7. Separately, police have booked R. Veeramani over the death of a minor in 2004.
· 3 min read
Indian automakers shipped sharply higher volumes in September as dealers stocked up ahead of the festive season — Maruti Suzuki's wholesale dispatches rose 24.4% to 2.36 lakh units while Hero MotoCorp's grew 11.5% to 7.66 lakh. The numbers are dispatches, not sales — but they signal an industry betting big on October.
· 2 min read
India's gross GST collections rose 14.7% year-on-year to about ₹2.04 lakh crore in September, the third straight month above the ₹2 lakh-crore mark. Tamil Nadu bucked the trend: its domestic collections fell 5% to ₹10,188 crore, making it the only major state in the red.
· 2 min read
Apple has launched Apple Pay in India, nine years after its US debut, initially supporting only Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Users can tap to pay on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch; UPI support is missing at launch.
· 2 min read
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Rs 1,86,405-crore Green Energy Corridor Phase-III, to evacuate up to 135 GW of renewable power by 2032-33 with 50 GWh of battery storage. Central assistance of Rs 54,082 crore will offset transmission charges and keep power costs down.
· 1 min read
A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari has given the State four weeks to report which caste appellations on streets, roads and localities have been removed, and which still remain, nearly five decades after a 1978 order first demanded it.
· 4 min read
Fisherfolk from 64 villages want the government order for a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam withdrawn, while Kasimedu's boat owners plan an indefinite strike over vessels held in Andhra Pradesh for more than 100 days.
· 4 min read
About 250 nurses fasted in Chennai against temporary appointments, as the Health Department warned applicants about touts. Doctors want hospitals declared high-security zones after a string of violent incidents.
· 3 min read
A chapter titled "Managing Your Personal Finances" in NCERT's new integrated social science book walks teenagers through slab-wise tax calculations under the post-2023 default regime. The old regime is not mentioned. Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani called it a first for this age group.
· 2 min read
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay extended the renamed Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to Classes 6 to 8, adding about 15.30 lakh pupils in 7,537 more schools. The idea of feeding children at school in Madras goes back to a Justice Party leader in 1922.
· 3 min read
Chennai recorded 1,290 dengue cases in September, more than double the 605 in August, the health department says, as the mosquito-borne disease surges across Tamil Nadu. Over 25,000 workers have been deployed for mosquito control and fever surveillance.
· 1 min read
About 250 nurses fasted in Chennai against temporary appointments, as the Health Department warned applicants about touts. Doctors want hospitals declared high-security zones after a string of violent incidents.
· 3 min read
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay extended the renamed Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme to Classes 6 to 8, adding about 15.30 lakh pupils in 7,537 more schools. The idea of feeding children at school in Madras goes back to a Justice Party leader in 1922.
· 3 min read
The India Meteorological Department has sounded a yellow alert across Tamil Nadu, warning of heavy rain with thunder, lightning and 50 km/h gusts in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore and Erode till October 3; Chennai is already seeing waterlogging and traffic snarls.
· 1 min read
A summer of heatwaves after a snow-poor winter stripped glaciers bare even at 3,500 metres. Scientists say melting that once counted as extreme at 2% a year is now routinely exceeded.
· 3 min read
The court rejected a nationwide firecracker ban and accepted NEERI's call for a "limited and conditional relaxation" for redesigned joined crackers. Sivakasi cheered, but says mass production will have to wait for next year.
· 3 min read
Fisherfolk from 64 villages want the government order for a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam withdrawn, while Kasimedu's boat owners plan an indefinite strike over vessels held in Andhra Pradesh for more than 100 days.
· 4 min read
Gantries with RFID readers, radar and number-plate cameras have replaced manned booths on the Chennai–Tiruchi highway. About 46,500 vehicles a day use the plaza; FASTag vehicles pass without stopping, while others get challans.
· 2 min read
Interviews with 33 victims across five cities found that digital literacy offered little protection. Fraudsters struck at moments of stress, and losses ran from a few thousand rupees to more than ₹1 crore.
· 3 min read
India thrashed Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the Asian Games men's cricket semifinal on Thursday — 169/7 answered by 45 all out — to set up a gold-medal clash with Pakistan on Saturday at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin.
· 1 min read
Playing-condition changes effective from 1 October include escalating penalties for batters who are not ready, tighter specs for women's balls, and a trial letting sides agree to use a pink ball for an entire daytime Test to fight bad light. Sourav Ganguly said the aim is pace and integrity.
· 2 min read
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 223 and Rohit Sharma's 101 carried India past West Indies' 405 for seven with eight wickets to spare in Guwahati, sealing the three-match series 2-0.
· 2 min read
Born Muthaiah in Sirukoodalpatti in 1927, Kannadasan left school after Class VIII, found his voice beside a poet-saint's memorial in Tiruvottiyur, and wrote film songs that still open the day in Tamil villages.
· 3 min read
The 17th-century palace of Rani Mangammal, which holds the blood-stained cloth Gandhi wore when he was killed, was repaired with traditional materials and given digital galleries mapping his 20 visits to Tamil Nadu.
· 3 min read
History
M.K.Stalin
@mkstalin
படத்தில் நடிப்பதை நிறுத்திவிட்டேன் எனச் சொல்லிவிட்டு, மக்கள் முன் நடித்துக்கொண்டே இருக்கும் மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் திரு. விஜய் அவர்களே, இன்று மதுராந்தகம் Shooting-இல் உங்களின் Dialogue Delivery-யைப் பார்த்தேன். உங்களுக்குச் சில கேள்விகள். அ.தி.மு.க.வில் இருந்து விலைக்கு வாங்கி,… pic.twitter.com/KlxqhEb0oE
Udhay
@Udhaystalin
Happy to see the investment and support for sports by our #DravidianModel Government bearing fruit at the 20th Asian Games being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. A big round of applause to Tamil Nadu’s super-talented athlete, Vidya Ramaraj, who has set a new record by clocking 54.75… pic.twitter.com/mw8QA51oUB
Sundeep Kishan
@sundeepkishan
I see a lot of targeted anti Tweets coming at me & my film over the last few days lol I know exactly the people behind this & paying for this as well… Just reminding you that you have more to lose than me.. Direct ayipithe andaru dorikipitharu mari.. choosukondi :)
M.K.Stalin
@mkstalin
த.வெ.க. ஆட்சியில் அமைச்சர் பெருமக்களுக்கே இந்த நிலை என்றால், சாமானிய மக்களின் கதி என்ன என்பதைச் சொல்லவே தேவையில்லை. இரண்டு நாட்களுக்கு முன், மின்வாரியத் தலைமையகத்தில் முதலமைச்சர் Review செய்யவில்லை. Reels-தான் எடுத்துவிட்டு வந்திருக்கிறார் போல.#மின்வெட்டு #PowerCut pic.twitter.com/ooqfb57Ad0
Udhay
@Udhaystalin
கழகத்தலைவர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் தலைமையிலான திராவிட மாடல் அரசால் விளையாட்டுத் துறைக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்ட ஆதரவும், கட்டமைப்புகள் மீதான முதலீடும் தற்போது ஜப்பானின் ஐச்சி–நகோயாவில் நடைபெற்று வரும் 20-வது ஆசிய விளையாட்டுப் போட்டிகளில், சிறப்பான பலனை அளித்து வருவதை அறிந்து பெருமகிழ்ச்சி… pic.twitter.com/sZueDvRmWZ
Udhay
@Udhaystalin
பட்டப்பகலில் இரட்டைக் கொலை உட்பட 2 நாட்களில் 9 கொலைகள் - என்ன செய்கிறார் Dummy முதலமைச்சர்? திருநெல்வேலியில் டால்டன் மற்றும் நிக்கோலஸ் என அண்ணன் தம்பி இருவர் பட்டப்பகலில் குத்திக்கொல்லப்பட்டுள்ள சம்பவம் கடும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. இதே போல, சென்னை ஐஸ் ஹவுஸில் கஞ்சா…
Udhay
@Udhaystalin
நீட் ஒழிப்புப் போராளி தங்கை அனிதாவின் சகோதரர் மணி ரத்னம் அவர்களின் ஏற்பாட்டில், நீட் ஒழிப்பு கூட்டியக்கம் முன்னெடுக்கும் நாடு தழுவிய அளவிலான கையெழுத்து இயக்கத்தில் பங்கேற்று நீட் ஒழிப்புக்கு ஆதரவாக கையொப்பமிட்டோம். தங்கை அனிதாவின் தியாகத்தால் தமிழ்நாட்டில் இருந்து புறப்பட்ட நீட்… pic.twitter.com/UKkQzk0MCE
M.K.Stalin
@mkstalin
சிம்மக் குரலாலும் செழுந்தமிழ் உச்சரிப்பாலும் கம்பீர நடையாலும் திரையுலகை ஆண்ட நடிகர் திலகம் செவாலியே சிவாஜி கணேசன் அவர்களது பிறந்தநாள்! இந்நாளில், நடிகர் திலகத்துடன் பழகிய அழகிய தருணங்களையும், ஈடு இணையற்ற அவரது நடிப்பாற்றலையும் நினைவுகூர்ந்து போற்றுகிறேன்!#SivajiGanesan pic.twitter.com/zk2MqHWB6L
M.K.Stalin
@mkstalin
இதுவரை ஒன்றிய அரசின் இந்தித் திணிப்பைத்தான் தமிழ்நாடு எதிர்கொண்டு வந்தது. தற்போது, மாநில அரசே அந்தப் பணியைச் செய்வதுதான் அவர்கள் சொன்ன மாற்றம் போல. எல்லாவற்றிலும், ஆழம் பார்த்துவிட்டு, எதிர்ப்பு கிளம்பியதும் 'U Turn' அடிக்கும் த.வெ.க. அரசின் மற்றுமொரு முயற்சியா இது? வடமாநில… https://t.co/mJjBi5hW4Y
Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி)
@KanimozhiDMK
மதுராந்தகம் சட்டமன்றத் தொகுதி மக்களின் மீது திணிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் இடைத்தேர்தலை முன்னிட்டு, நேற்று மேற்கொண்ட பரப்புரையின் போது.#VoteForDMK pic.twitter.com/tlvf7HSkpY
Udhay
@Udhaystalin
My hearty congratulations to Velavan, Abhay Singh, Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riyaz on winning bronze medals for India in the Men’s and Women’s Squash Team events respectively at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Their achievement is a proud moment for Tamil Nadu.…
M.K.Stalin
@mkstalin
தாராபுரத்தின் தன்மானம் காக்க சகோதரி வழக்கறிஞர் சுகன்யா அவர்களுக்கு உதயசூரியன் சின்னத்தில் வாக்களியுங்கள்!#VoteForDMK #Dharapuram pic.twitter.com/KkWQUYXirD
