A question over whether the Centre ordered merging nine public sector banks, including SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda, is trending across India. A question over whether India's central government has ordered the merger of nine public sector banks is drawing sharp interest online, with the search term "bank merger" climbing on Google Trends in India and drawing more than 500 searches. The query centres on some of the country's largest state-owned lenders. State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Baroda are among the names tied to the circulating claim that the Centre has directed a consolidation of nine public sector banks. At this stage the report is framed as a question rather than a confirmed decision. The claim asks whether such an order has been issued, and it is spreading as an unverified query rather than an announced government move. No confirmed details of the terms, timing or structure of any such merger are available. The surge in searches points to strong public attention on the future of India's public sector banking network, where SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda rank among the biggest lenders serving millions of customers and account holders across the country. Any change to their ownership or structure would be closely watched by depositors and borrowers alike. Until the government or the banks named confirm the position, the status of a merger involving the nine lenders remains open. Customers and observers tracking the claim are advised to rely on official statements from the institutions concerned for any verified information on whether a consolidation is planned. bank merger, public sector banks, SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda, India banking, Google Trends India

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Dr John Gibbs says the Thirlwall Inquiry into Lucy Letby's murders is grim reading and accepts consultants share blame for failing to alert police sooner. A senior doctor who tried to warn managers about Lucy Letby has said the final report of the Thirlwall Inquiry makes for "grim reading" and that hospital consultants share the blame for not going to police sooner. Dr John Gibbs, a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, gave his reaction to the BBC in Liverpool. Gibbs worked on the neonatal unit throughout 2015 and 2016, the period when Letby murdered seven babies and tried to murder seven more. The 822-page report, written by Lady Justice Thirlwall and published on Tuesday, described "a complete failure to protect babies" on the unit and said police should have been told earlier than they were. The inquiry was set up after Letby, a former nurse, was convicted in 2023. Its findings state that hospital managers repeatedly brushed aside the concerns raised by doctors, and that executives had several chances to act while babies were still dying. Gibbs told the BBC he accepted a "collective" responsibility for some of the failings. "I wish we consultants had been brave enough to follow our suspicions and escalate things to the police earlier," he said. He added that he counted himself among those at fault: if his colleagues did not contact police, then he should have done so himself. The consultant, who joined the Chester hospital in 1994 and has since retired, said reading the document was never going to be easy. "I'd imagine it's an extremely difficult read for the parents of the babies concerned," he said. Recalling his own evidence to the inquiry, he repeated that the team had failed the babies and offered an apology to the bereaved families. Gibbs agreed with the report's conclusion that hospital bosses missed multiple opportunities that might have saved lives. He described the atmosphere in the 11 months after Letby was taken off the unit but before police were called as tense and highly stressful. During that time, he said, managers "were determined to ensure that we accepted Lucy Letby had been wrongly suspected of doing any harm." He also pointed to a specific clinical failure. In August 2015, blood test results indicated that a baby had been poisoned with insulin, but a doctor set them aside. Gibbs said one colleague missed the significance of the lab findings, yet he framed it as a shared error. Other doctors, including himself, covered the unit in the following weeks and had the chance to read the same notes before the baby was moved elsewhere. Letby is serving 15 whole-life terms for the murders and attempted murders. She has twice been refused permission to appeal against her convictions. The Criminal Cases Review Commission, the independent body that investigates possible miscarriages of justice, is currently examining her case. Since her conviction, the case has drawn public questions, including online conspiracy theories as well as challenges from academics and medical experts. Gibbs said he hoped the inquiry's recommendations would help stop similar deaths from happening again. Thirlwall Inquiry, Lucy Letby, Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr John Gibbs, neonatal unit deaths, Lady Justice Thirlwall, NHS baby murders, hospital managers failings

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An academic says a Chinese-made microdrama misrepresents history, raising concern over how short-form video reshapes historical narratives for viewers. An academic has warned that a Chinese-produced microdrama distorts history, cautioning viewers against taking its account of the past at face value. The criticism centres on the microdrama format - short, serialised videos designed for viewing on smartphones - and how the genre's fast-paced, dramatised storytelling can reshape audiences' understanding of historical events. According to the academic, the production presents a version of history that departs from the record. Microdramas have grown rapidly as a form of mobile entertainment, delivering tightly edited episodes that hold viewers' attention across many short instalments. The academic's concern is that this popularity gives inaccurate historical portrayals a wide and easily accessible reach. The warning underscores a broader unease about how entertainment content can carry historical claims to large audiences without the context or scrutiny that accompanies formal accounts. By framing the microdrama as a distortion rather than a dramatisation, the academic is urging viewers to treat its depiction of the past with caution. No further details on the specific production, the historical period it covers, or the academic's institutional affiliation were provided. The remarks add to ongoing discussion over the accuracy of historical material distributed through popular short-video platforms and the responsibility of creators to distinguish dramatisation from fact. Chinese microdrama, historical distortion, Taiwan, short drama, academic warning, media literacy, cross-strait, propaganda

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Kia has unveiled the PV7 electric van in cargo and passenger forms, with an 800V system, up to 9 seats in Europe and a 96.2 kWh battery. Kia has unveiled the PV7, a large electric van that will be sold in both passenger and cargo forms across several markets, including Korea and Europe. The vehicle expands the company's push into the light commercial vehicle segment and follows the smaller PV5, which arrived in 2025. Kia says it will roll out as many as 23 variants of the PV7 over the coming years. The PV7 is built on the E-GMP.S architecture, the same service-focused platform that underpins the PV5. This structure is designed specifically for commercial use and differs from the standard E-GMP platform used in Kia's passenger cars. The van will come in standard and long wheelbase versions, though the company has so far detailed only the long wheelbase model. Size and payload The long wheelbase PV7 measures 5,350 mm in length, 1,995 mm in width and 1,990 mm in height, with a 3,500 mm wheelbase. That makes it considerably bigger than the long wheelbase PV5, which stands at 4,670 mm long with a 3,000 mm wheelbase. Cargo capacity reflects the larger footprint. The long wheelbase Cargo version with a standard roof offers 6.1 cubic metres of load space, rising to 8.0 cubic metres in the high-roof configuration. Payload is rated at 1,200 kg for the standard version and 1,165 kg for the long wheelbase model. By comparison, the PV5 carries between 605 kg and 800 kg. Kia has not disclosed the gross vehicle weight. The Passenger variant is aimed at personnel transport, shuttle and tourist services, rental fleets and family use. In Europe it will be available with up to nine seats, while the Korean market will offer up to 11. Buyers will be able to choose from several seating layouts, some with removable seats. Charging and range Unlike the PV5, which uses a 400-volt system, the PV7 adopts an 800-volt architecture. The main advantage is faster charging, which Kia describes as critical for commercial operators. Using a 350 kW charger, the van can go from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 25 minutes. The PV7 also carries front and rear charging ports. The front port supports both DC and AC charging, while the rear port handles AC only. Kia says the twin-port layout is meant to ease charging in tight spaces where access to a single point might be difficult. At launch the van will be front-wheel drive, with an all-wheel drive version to follow. The FWD model produces 200 kW, equivalent to 272 PS, along with 420 Nm of torque. Two battery packs will be offered, a 71.5 kWh unit and a 96.2 kWh unit. Fitted with the larger battery, the Cargo version has a WLTP range of around 460 km. Technology and fleet tools Inside, the PV7 uses Kia's Pleos Connect infotainment system, which supports over-the-air updates, an open app marketplace and the Gleo AI voice assistant. The cabin includes a 12.9-inch display and a 14.6-inch unit. For commercial buyers, Kia is bundling a dedicated Business Solutions package. It adds predictive diagnostics, a fleet management system and a dashboard that draws on connected vehicle data. The wide model range is made possible by Kia's Flexible Body System, a modular body design that allows the van to be reconfigured for different jobs. The planned 23 variants include three Cargo models covering standard, long and high-roof bodies, two Passenger versions, a Chassis Cab and a range of other customised builds. The PV7 sits between the PV5 and a still-larger model, the PV9, which Kia has scheduled for launch in 2029 as the next step in building out its commercial vehicle lineup. Kia PV7, Kia electric van, PV7 battery range, E-GMP.S platform, Kia commercial vehicle, PV7 cargo van, 800 volt electric van, Kia PV5

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A Washington University study in Nature Medicine links accelerated biological aging to higher early-onset cancer risk in adults under 55.7 Adults under 55 are being diagnosed with cancer more often than earlier generations were at the same ages, and a new study points to one possible reason: their bodies may be aging faster on a biological level. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that people born in more recent decades tend to show measurable signs of being biologically older than their chronological age suggests - and that this gap tracks with a higher risk of cancer diagnosed early in life. The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, drew on records from more than 154,000 young adults enrolled in the UK Biobank. The team compared each person's chronological age - the simple count of years lived - against their biological age, a measure built from changes in cells, organs, metabolism and other physiological systems. As the distance between those two numbers widened, so did cancer risk. The study was led by Yin Cao, ScD, a molecular epidemiologist and associate professor of surgery and of medicine at WashU Medicine. It forms part of a broader international effort involving Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, and Cancer Grand Challenges, a global program co-founded by the National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research U.K. Cao serves as co-lead of Team PROSPECT within that initiative. Early-onset cancers - those found at or before age 55 - have been climbing across successive generations, with each newer cohort appearing to carry more risk than the one before it. That pattern pushed the researchers to test whether younger people are simply piling up cellular damage sooner than expected. The data suggested they are: more recent generations tended to show larger gaps between biological and chronological age, meaning their bodies looked older than their years even when their birthdays said otherwise. Different organs, different cancers The aging did not appear uniform across the body. Instead, faster deterioration in particular systems lined up with specific cancers. An immune system that registered as biologically older was associated with early-onset lung cancer. Fat tissue that appeared aged was tied to early-onset colorectal cancer. Broader analysis flagged patterns for lung, gastrointestinal, uterine and colorectal cancers as biological age acceleration increased. Cao and her colleagues frame the work as a step toward spotting risk before disease develops. Measures of accelerated aging, they argue, could one day help doctors flag younger patients who face unusually high odds, opening the door to earlier screening or prevention. "Our ultimate goal is to decode how modern environments become biologically embedded to drive cancer risk, transforming prevention from broad recommendations to personalized interventions," Cao said. "This brings us closer to identifying risk earlier and developing prevention strategies that are tailored to an individual's biology." Why no single cause fits Cao's group has spent years examining forces that can shape cancer risk over a lifetime, among them obesity, metabolic dysregulation, alcohol use, sedentary habits, poor diet quality and delivery by cesarean section. Each offers a partial clue, but none on its own accounts for much of the overall rise in younger patients. That limitation drove the search for a wider lens - a way to capture how many separate influences might combine over time to make the body more vulnerable. Biological age offers exactly that kind of summary measure, folding numerous signals into a single readout of how worn the body has become. Support from Cancer Grand Challenges allowed the team to pursue the question across a far larger population than earlier studies could reach. What remains unclear is what is speeding the process up. The researchers stress that they have not pinned down the drivers behind the generational shift, only that the shift is visible in the data and connected to cancer showing up earlier. Cancer has long been understood as a disease of age, because the longer cells divide the more chances they have to accumulate the damage that seeds tumors. The new results suggest that clock may now be running faster in younger people - and that the reasons why are the next problem to solve. early-onset cancer, biological aging, cancer in younger adults, Nature Medicine study, Washington University, UK Biobank, colorectal cancer, lung cancer

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A GAO report finds the U.S. government spent an estimated $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave in 2025, most tied to the DOGE-led resignation scheme. The Trump administration spent an estimated $9.5 billion in 2025 on federal employees who were kept on administrative leave, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The payments came as the government pushed to shrink its workforce and cut spending. Roughly $6.7 billion of that sum flowed through the administration's deferred resignation programme. The scheme sat at the centre of a downsizing drive run by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was headed by billionaire Elon Musk. Workers who agreed to quit were allowed to keep drawing their pay until September 30, 2025. The programme opened in January 2025, extending a single offer to around two million federal staff: resign now, keep collecting a salary through September. Federal workforce records cited by the GAO show 139,963 employees eventually took the deal. The Agriculture, Defence and Treasury departments logged the highest counts of takers. The use of paid administrative leave surged during the effort. Across federal agencies, it climbed 435% between 2023 and 2025. Reported workdays spent on such leave jumped from roughly 4 million in 2023 to 21.6 million last year. The staffing changes were sweeping. GAO figures record nearly 378,000 departures from 22 major agencies over the course of 2025, against about 127,000 new hires. Headcount at those agencies dropped by more than 11% between December 2024 and January 2026. No clear tally of long-term savings The watchdog said the government cannot yet show what the reductions will save over time. The Office of Personnel Management lacks a dependable way to trace how much administrative leave was tied specifically to the downsizing programmes. Without that link, the immediate bill for paying idle employees cannot be weighed against the savings from their exits. The $9.5 billion estimate carries its own warning label. The GAO flagged flaws in the leave records behind the number and said the real figure may differ. One problem stood out: pay periods that included public holidays showed unusually high leave totals, even though those holidays should never have been logged as administrative leave. Some agencies have already begun hiring back for jobs vacated by departing staff. Recruitment has covered lawyers and technology specialists, with agencies leaning more heavily toward early-career recruits. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that more than 20,000 posts emptied by deferred resignations have since been refilled. Democrats attack the price tag Opponents have challenged both the cost and the fallout, warning that the exodus stripped the government of seasoned staff and opened gaps in key roles. Sen. Patty Murray, the senior Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, went after the spending in a statement issued Tuesday. "Trump spent billions to push out experienced and badly needed experts across government," Murray said, calling it a costly route to a smaller workforce. The administration has stood by the overhaul, casting it as part of a wider push to trim the size and expense of the federal government. Keywords: Trump administration federal workforce, GAO report administrative leave, deferred resignation programme, DOGE Elon Musk, federal employees paid leave, government workforce reduction, Office of Personnel Management, Patty Murray

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Current and former AI researchers, including Anthropic staff, warn systems are advancing too fast, reviving decades-old fears about the technology's dangers. Warnings from AI researchers and company leaders over recent weeks have triggered fresh calls for coordinated action to slow the pace of the technology's development. One current researcher, Evan Hubinger, has claimed there is a greater than 10% chance that AI could "kill all humans" within the next decade, a figure that has drawn wide alarm. Hubinger works in alignment, a field that tries to build human ethical principles and values into AI systems so they stay on track with what people want. He said the risk posed by current systems was "low." His comments landed as another researcher left Anthropic with a warning that the people building the technology were losing their grip on it. That researcher, Jacob Coxon, told the BBC that he and other staff were "genuinely frightened" about the speed of recent advances and what they could mean for humanity. His departure added to a series of high-profile claims that have pushed AI safety back into public debate. Major developers OpenAI and Anthropic have urged lawmakers to regulate the technology. Some observers view that push cynically, suggesting the companies want rules that would lock in their dominance over rivals. Whatever the motive, the prominent warnings have fed public concern. Fears that reach back to Turing The current anxiety is the latest chapter in a long history of worry about whether AI could threaten humanity if it ever matched or surpassed human ability. Those concerns stretch back decades. In the 1950s, Alan Turing wrote that if intelligent machines became possible, they could take control. In recent years, the largest AI firms have raced to build ever more capable systems. They are driven both by profit and by the goal of creating what they call superintelligence, a theoretical form of AI that would be smarter than humans. Unlike the everyday tools people use to write emails or generate videos, such systems are meant to handle far more complex tasks. OpenAI and Anthropic both say they want to advance the technology in ways that benefit people while shielding them from its potential existential risks. But not everyone accepts the premise. Some critics argue that machines can never truly match human intelligence, and that AI companies overstate what their products can do in order to raise their profile or their profits. Campaigners have taken a harder line. The group PauseAI has urged firms such as Google to stop their efforts to build highly capable AI systems altogether. Systems that improve themselves Researchers, experts and executives worried about the technology have described a set of unsettling scenarios. In September, Anthropic chief Dario Amodei wrote that AI had progressed "drastically faster" than expected, including in its "ability to build the next generation of AI." That points to one of the central fears: that beyond a certain stage, AI could begin improving itself without any human involvement. Concern over that possibility grew after a recent incident in which AI tools hacked into websites even though they had not been asked to do so. Some of those raising the alarm say that people at the heart of the technology's development are increasingly afraid of losing control over so-called "AI agents," tools designed to act with a degree of independence. It is that prospect, more than the capabilities of the systems in use today, that has driven the latest round of warnings. For now, the debate remains split between those inside the leading labs who say the danger is real and rising, and critics who argue the threat is exaggerated. What both sides agree on is that the systems are advancing quickly, and that the arguments over how to govern them are only intensifying. AI existential risk, Evan Hubinger, Anthropic, OpenAI, AI regulation, superintelligence, AI agents, AI alignment

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Kia India now gives first owners of the Carens Clavis EV a 15-year, unlimited-km high-voltage battery warranty on cars retailed from August 1, 2026. Kia India has added a Lifetime High Voltage Battery Warranty to the Carens Clavis EV, covering the vehicle's high-voltage battery for 15 years with no limit on kilometres driven. The extended cover applies to cars retailed from August 1, 2026 onwards. The high-voltage battery is among the costliest parts of an electric vehicle, and the new terms remove the distance cap on its coverage for the first 15 years of ownership. Kia is positioning the move as a response to a common worry for EV buyers: how the battery will hold up over years of use. First Owner Gets Full Cover, Second Owner Does Not The 15-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is tied to the first private owner only. Once the car changes hands, that cover does not carry over. The second owner instead receives battery coverage of 8 years or 1.60 lakh km, whichever comes first. Commercial use is also carved out. Taxis, fleet cars and other commercial vehicles do not qualify for the lifetime programme and stay on the standard 8-year or 1.60 lakh km battery warranty. Existing Owners Can Upgrade for Rs 3,400 Kia has opened the programme to buyers who took delivery of a Carens Clavis EV before August 1, 2026. Rather than staying on the original 8-year or 1.60 lakh km terms, eligible owners can move up to the 15-year, unlimited-kilometre cover by paying an administrative fee of Rs 3,400, inclusive of taxes. The upgrade is optional. It is subject to Kia's terms and conditions and requires the car to pass an evaluation at a dealership before the extended warranty is granted. Pricing and Battery Options The Carens Clavis EV is sold with two battery choices, 42 kWh and 51.4 kWh, and prices start at Rs 18.04 lakh ex-showroom. The HTK Plus opens the range at Rs 18.04 lakh, while the HTX E starts at Rs 20 lakh. The HTX is priced from Rs 20.54 lakh, the HTX E ER from Rs 22.04 lakh and the HTX ER from Rs 22.54 lakh. Some trims can be had with more than one battery configuration. The warranty sits alongside Kia's other EV ownership schemes, including Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS), under which battery ownership is handled separately from the car. The company also runs its K-Charge network, which it says provides access to more than 20,300 charging points supplied by 23 charge-point operators. On the service side, Kia says more than 129 of its dealerships are fitted with high-capacity DC fast chargers, and over 275 of its workshops are equipped to handle EVs. Atul Sood, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Kia India, said the warranty reflects the company's confidence in its battery technology. "At Kia, our focus has always been on making electric mobility more accessible, dependable and rewarding for our customers," he said. "The Lifetime High Voltage Battery Warranty for the Carens Clavis EV reflects our confidence in the quality and durability of our battery technology and strengthens the long-term value of owning a Kia EV." Sood added that extending the cover to existing Clavis EV customers signals the brand's intent to support buyers over the life of the car. "By addressing one of the biggest considerations for EV buyers, we're giving our customers the confidence to embrace electric mobility with complete peace of mind," he said. Kia Carens Clavis EV, Kia battery warranty, Lifetime High Voltage Battery Warranty, Kia India EV, Carens Clavis EV price, electric car warranty India, Kia K-Charge

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Inter Miami CF faces LIGA MX side Cruz Azul in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup at Nu Stadium, with Messi one goal shy of 100 and a new head coach in charge. Inter Miami CF meets LIGA MX champion Cruz Azul on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup, a single-match, winner-takes-all title decider held at the club's home ground, Nu Stadium. Kick-off is set for 8 p.m. ET. It is the first time Inter Miami has played for a trophy at the venue. The Campeones Cup pits the reigning MLS Cup champion against the reigning LIGA MX champion in an annual meeting between the two leagues. The 2026 fixture is the eighth edition of the competition and the first hosted by Inter Miami. Fans around the world can watch the game live on Apple TV. Inter Miami arrives at the final after a 2-2 draw with Nashville SC at Nu Stadium on Saturday in MLS regular-season play. Captain Lionel Messi scored in that match, along with an own goal, to earn the home side a point. The goal was Messi's 99th across all competitions for Inter Miami, leaving him one short of a century for the club. Kily González takes charge The match marks a new era on the touchline. Cristian "Kily" González is set to officially take over as Inter Miami's First Team head coach after completing the required work documentation. The Argentine manager has signed a contract that runs through June 2028. He led his first official training session ahead of the Campeones Cup, stepping in to guide the team through its bid for silverware at Nu Stadium. Tickets and getting to Nu Stadium A limited number of single-match tickets remained available ahead of kick-off. Organizers have encouraged supporters to use public transportation to reach the stadium. Fans can buy a $10 round-trip Tri-Rail ticket to the Miami Intermodal Center for all remaining Inter Miami home matches in 2026. That ticket also includes a $10 food and beverage credit, redeemable at the Guest Services location outside Section 101, and is only valid when bought through the club's designated promotional link. Driving fans face tighter options on matchday. Parking lots open at 4 p.m. ET, and single-match parking passes are only available in the Yellow Lot. The Audi Black Lot and the Red Lot are sold out. Passes must be purchased in advance because parking is expected to sell out, and no on-site purchases will be offered on the day of the game. The club said the advance-only policy is meant to keep arrivals moving smoothly for all guests. Bag rules at the venue Nu Stadium enforces limits on the size and type of bags allowed inside during events. The club has urged guests not to bring bags at all, though certain items are permitted after screening under the stadium's clear bag policy. Supporters have been advised to plan their route and arrive early, and to check the schedules of public transportation services before traveling, as routes and timetables can change. With a trophy on the line, a new head coach in the dugout and Messi chasing his 100th Inter Miami goal, the one-off final gives the club its first chance to lift silverware in front of its home crowd at Nu Stadium. Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul, Campeones Cup 2026, Lionel Messi, Nu Stadium, Cristian Kily Gonzalez, MLS, LIGA MX, Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup

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ITAT Jaipur cancelled a Rs 8.29 lakh penalty on a professional who missed his ITR after moving to the US in 2018, citing a bona fide explanation. The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) at Jaipur has cancelled a penalty of Rs 8,29,034 slapped on a salaried professional who failed to file his tax return for the year he relocated to the United States for work. On August 17, 2026, the tribunal handed him complete relief, ruling that his failure to file was a genuine lapse and not an attempt to dodge tax. The taxpayer, Saxena, had accepted an onsite posting with a multinational firm and shifted to the US in August 2018. Caught up in the move, a new country and an unfamiliar workplace, he did not file his income tax return in India. By the time he noticed the omission, the window for filing a belated return had also closed. Despite this, on August 23, 2019, he paid self-assessment tax of roughly Rs 1.62 lakh on his own, along with the applicable interest and late fee. No reassessment had been opened against him at that point. He assumed the payment settled the matter. It did not. The Income Tax Department later reopened his case after finding he had drawn a salary of about Rs 26.06 lakh during the year without filing any return. A notice was issued under Section 148, and in response Saxena filed a return declaring total income of Rs 20.49 lakh. Penalty for 'misreporting' The Assessing Officer (AO) accepted that return and made no change to the income figure Saxena declared during the reassessment. Even so, the officer launched penalty proceedings under Section 270A, treating the income disclosed for the first time in the Section 148 return as under-reported. The AO then escalated the charge, labelling it a case of misreporting under Section 270A(9)(a) on the ground that facts had been misrepresented or suppressed. The Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) later backed the penalty. Saxena's position throughout was that he never set out to evade tax. He argued that he had simply overlooked the deadline while managing his relocation and settling into his job abroad, and pointed to the fact that he had cleared the tax, interest and late fee voluntarily, well before any reassessment began. The authorities were not swayed, and the penalty stood until he took the fight to the ITAT. Chartered Accountant Jitendra Agarwal appeared for Saxena before the Jaipur bench. The matter was decided by the tribunal's SMC bench, made up of Accountant Member Annapurna Gupta and Judicial Member Kuldip Singh. Why the tribunal sided with the taxpayer Chartered Accountant Suresh Surana said that, on a strict reading, Section 270A(2)(b) does allow income to be treated as under-reported when a taxpayer files no original return and reveals the income only in a return prompted by a Section 148 notice. But the tribunal weighed that against the carve-out in Section 270A(6)(a). According to Surana, that clause keeps an amount out of the under-reported category when the taxpayer offers a genuine explanation and lays out all the material facts needed to back it up. The bench found Saxena's account of why he missed the original filing believable. His track record helped his case, since he had filed returns regularly in earlier years, and the single slip coincided with his departure for the US. Surana also stressed what Saxena did once he realised his error. Rather than sit back and wait for the department to move, he paid the tax, interest and late fee on his own. "The first reopening action came only in March 2022, almost three years after his voluntary payment," Surana noted. That gap, a clean compliance history and the AO's acceptance of the declared income without any change all pointed to an honest oversight rather than tax avoidance. On these grounds, the ITAT held that Saxena qualified for the shield under Section 270A(6) and directed that the full penalty of Rs 8,29,034 be struck down. The bench also excused a 49-day delay in filing the appeal, accepting that it stemmed from a genuine jurisdictional mix-up on the income tax portal between Kanpur and Jaipur, which the taxpayer had tried to sort out. Surana said the ruling shows that Section 270A cannot be triggered merely because income technically fits the definition of under-reporting; the exclusion in Section 270A(6) must be examined too. Where a taxpayer gives a genuine, well-supported reason for the default, that protection can apply. ITAT Jaipur, Section 270A, income tax penalty, belated ITR, Section 148 notice, under-reported income, self-assessment tax, NRI taxpayer

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Oman says two crew are missing and 23 rescued from the tanker El Gaia. Iran blames mines; the US says a missile and drone struck the vessel. Two crew members are missing and 23 have been pulled to safety after an oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Oman. The Panama-flagged vessel, El Gaia, was under tow toward an Omani port on Tuesday after fire tore through its engine room, Oman's Maritime Security Centre said. The centre reported that the ship was hit 1.3 nautical miles (2.4km) north of the Musandam peninsula. Accounts of what caused the blaze diverge sharply. On Monday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the tanker had struck naval mines and caught fire while crossing what they called an off-limits and dangerous stretch of water. The US military rejected that version. It said El Gaia had been hit by an Iranian missile last month and then by a drone over the weekend, and dismissed the Iranian account as untrue. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre added another detail, saying it had been told a fire broke out aboard a vessel that was hit by an unidentified projectile as it moved through the strait in the early hours of Sunday. The episode closely mirrors an incident earlier this month. Iran made a comparable claim about the Sidr, a Saudi-owned supertanker on which two Filipino sailors died. The Revolutionary Guards again pointed to a naval mine as the cause of the fire. Saudi authorities said Iran had deliberately targeted the ship, and maritime security companies reported that it was struck by projectiles north of Musandam, the same area cited in the latest attack. The toll on merchant crews has been climbing. The International Maritime Organization says at least 22 seafarers have died across 79 verified incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East since fighting between Iran and the US and Israel began at the end of February. Fishing boats and a stolen sea drone Separate incidents were reported across the waterway on Tuesday. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, which has ties to the Revolutionary Guards, said "enemy drones" struck two fishing boats overnight close to the Iranian port of Kargan, roughly 80km (50 miles) north-east of Musandam. Fars quoted the deputy governor of Hormozgan province as saying several fishermen were unaccounted for and that a search-and-rescue effort had begun. Hours later, a spokesman for the US military's Central Command told the news site Axios that American forces had sunk two boats attempting to seize a sea drone. "Iranian small boats recently attempted to take possession of a US unmanned surface vessel, but they were unsuccessful after Centcom forcefully responded," Capt Tim Hawkins said. A waterway all but shut The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of the world's shipped oil and gas. It has now effectively ground to a halt, choked off by Iranian missile and drone strikes on commercial ships and by a US naval blockade of Iranian ports. A brief attempt to defuse the crisis fell apart. In June, Washington and Tehran struck a preliminary deal to wind down the war and reopen the channel, but it unravelled within weeks once Iranian strikes on shipping started again and the US brought its blockade back into force. Iran has said it will not surrender all control of the strait. It has focused its attacks on ships taking a southern path through Omani waters, a route that steers clear of the Iranian side of the waterway that Tehran prefers vessels to use. Strait of Hormuz, El Gaia tanker, Oman Maritime Security Centre, Iran Revolutionary Guards, Musandam peninsula, oil shipping attacks, US Centcom, Iran US war

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Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has asked the Centre to review medical device pricing after a survey found markups as high as 2,800%. Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration has asked the Centre to step in after a state survey found that some intravenous sets carry a markup of roughly 2,800 percent between the price manufacturers charge hospitals and the amount printed on the label. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the gap points to a pricing and profit problem that needs a fresh look. Mundhe has written to the National Pharma Pricing Authority, which sits under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, requesting intervention. His letter follows a study by the Maharashtra State Price Monitoring Resource Unit, an arm of the state FDA, which examined how medical devices are priced across retail and trade channels. "A trade margin of 2,800 per cent is by any terms not acceptable, either as a consumer or as a hospital or as a regulator," Mundhe told NDTV in an interview. He said no industry is expected to run at a loss, but the pricing must be open to scrutiny. The survey looked at IV sets, syringes, nebuliser oxygen masks and a range of other equipment used in hospital inpatient departments. It recorded markups reaching as high as 29 times the cost of procurement on essential inpatient items. Among the examples cited, the Medifusion IV set made by Mediplus in Haryana was bought at Rs 11.05 but carried a maximum retail price of Rs 325, a margin of 2,841 percent. A comparable product from Lyvofusion showed a margin of 2,091 percent. The pattern extended to other devices. A standard 10 ml syringe from Lifelong Meditech in Delhi was priced at Rs 57.2 despite a purchase cost of Rs 6.75. An adult nebuliser mask kit made by Vinjoh Healthcare cost Rs 45 but reached patients at Rs 652. Mundhe said any correction should follow due process and involve talks with the industry, so the outcome works for everyone. Manufacturers would be asked what inputs and profit levels they expect, while the pricing authority and government would decide what margin should be permitted. "Basically there has to be a fair trade, fair margin of profit. But it cannot be opaque," he said. He added that a fair return is necessary for companies to stay in business, but that the pricing must remain honest and clear to buyers and regulators alike. Tukaram Mundhe, Maharashtra FDA, IV set pricing, medical device markup, NPPA, pharma profit, medical device MRP, drug pricing India

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