Friday's biggest stories.
India and the world — brands, startups, tech, sports, money and more. Explained simply, in our own words.
Blinkit Ambulance will now charge ₹2,500 for non-emergency trips
Emergency rides stay free. Routine trips like check-ups and hospital-to-home transfers will now be paid.
Deepinder Goyal hits back at doctors over his ‘Temple’ wearable
Doctors called the ₹85,000 brain-tracking gadget a scam. Goyal says the science will prove them wrong.
OpenAI could go public in 2027
The ChatGPT maker's president says the company could be ready for a stock market listing next year.
A viral video got a PVR juice counter shut in Bengaluru
A moviegoer alleged that used cups were being reused. Food safety officials inspected — and shut the counter.
India set for a ₹1 lakh crore Dhanteras
Traders expect record shopping today — led by gold and silver, even though gold is about 20% costlier than last year.
India
3 stories
Delhi's air turns "severe" before Diwali
The capital's average AQI crossed 450 this week, and stricter GRAP-II curbs are now in force across the NCR.
TRAI proposes separate licences for satellite internet
The telecom regulator wants satellite players under a new set of rules — and not selling directly to customers.
India's services sector picks up speed in October
The HSBC India Services PMI rose to 55.8, showing faster growth in businesses like IT, banking, travel and retail.
World
3 stories
Democrats win both houses of the US Congress
In Tuesday's midterm elections, Democrats took control of the House and the Senate — the first time in 20 years a Republican president has lost both.
Tankers catch fire in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran says at least five tankers and a tugboat caught fire, several after hitting mines. Oil crossed $100 a barrel.
Iran lets Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz
Indian vessels are exempt from Iran's shipping restrictions in the world's most important oil route — though they still pay a fee.
Startups & Brands
7 stories
Drone-delivery startup Zipline raises $1.5 billion
Its valuation has nearly tripled in about ten months, and Walmart is adding about 300 more drone-delivery locations.
Google, Meta and TikTok sue California over teen feeds law
The law limits autoplay and personalised feeds for users under 16. The companies say it breaks free-speech rules.
Airtel's profit jumps 24% as users pay more
Bharti Airtel's quarterly profit rose to ₹10,710 crore, helped by higher revenue per user.
LIC's profit rises 20% to ₹12,076 crore
India's biggest insurer had a strong September quarter, though new first-year premiums dipped slightly.
Palantir's revenue nearly doubles to $2.31 billion
The data and AI software company had its first $2 billion quarter and raised its outlook for the year.
Defence startup Shield AI buys Echodyne for $5.3 billion
The AI drone-pilot maker is buying a radar company and raising $2.5 billion at a $28.8 billion valuation.
Grubhub owner Wonder files to go public
Marc Lore's food company — which also owns Blue Apron — has confidentially filed for a US IPO.
Tech & AI
4 stories
Google plans a $17 billion AI data center in Wyoming
It will be Google's first in the state, powered largely by a giant fuel-cell plant.
OpenAI's new AI found 81 serious Firefox bugs
A cybersecurity model for approved researchers is finding and helping fix software holes at a scale humans could not.
40 US towns vote NO to AI data centers
Voters rejected new data-center projects, angry about power bills and pollution.
AMD plans $11 billion in AI acquisitions
A filing shows the chipmaker wants to buy World Labs and inference-chip startup Taalas.
Markets & Money
2 stories
Sports
3 stories
Entertainment
1 story
Good News
11 storiesJoyalukkas sets aside ₹100 crore for charity
The jewellery brand will fund homes, girls' education, elderly care and medical help.
Tata Trusts gave ₹1,556 crore — and plans up to 50 hospitals
The Trusts want a network of not-for-profit hospitals where those who can pay help cover those who can't.
Gene therapy helps blind patients see objects again
In a new trial, people blinded by an inherited eye disease could detect and find everyday objects.
A short truce in Ukraine got nearly 800 people to safety
A six-day ceasefire in the town of Oleshky let aid in and people out. More peace talks are planned next week.
Two teen brothers rescue a family from a flooded home
When emergency crews couldn't get through, they paddled in with a kayak and a paddleboard.
8 tiger cubs bring new hope to a Rajasthan sanctuary
It's the first successful tiger breeding recorded at Kailadevi in nearly 30 years.
Saffron blooms on barren land in Ladakh
A pilot farm in Leh flowered in under a month and gave 22 grams of saffron in four days.
Bengal's "Foodman" runs 20+ free study centres for children
A college professor gives children free meals and free coaching across West Bengal.
This Bhopal café swaps your trash for a meal
Bring plastic, paper or household waste — walk out with food. 45 tonnes recycled so far.
IIT Bombay's free tool warns farmers of drought 4 weeks early
KrishiDrought uses satellites and AI to forecast dry soil for every district in India.
Students fill a football field with food for families in need
A New Jersey high school collected more than 250,000 pounds of food in one drive.
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