Good morning, readers! Catch up on the top headlines you need to know today, from India and world news to sports and entertainment.
UPI merchant charges begin October 15: Who pays & who does not
Merchants accepting UPI payments above ₹2,000 will pay a fee for the first time from October 15, under a framework cleared by the UPI & services steering committee headed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages the payments system. Person-to-person transfers will be exempted from the charge, which has been set at 0.4% of the transaction value, and payments to certain categories will attract a flat ₹5 fee irrespective of the amount. Read more here.
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's London event called off over 'safety concerns'
Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s event was cancelled in London, after police cited safety concerns. The cancellation left many fans, some of whom had queued for hours, disappointed. His fans had gathered outside London's tallest building, The Shard, on Tuesday, but the event was called off after the Metropolitan Police intervened, citing safety concerns. Read more.
Rapido operator told to stop nudges asking consumers to pay more
Deep Dive
What is the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI payments above ₹2,000?
Will customers have to pay for UPI transactions above ₹2,000?
Are there any exceptions to the new UPI charges?
Ride-booking apps that prompt users to pay more -- with messages such as “Captains aren’t accepting at ₹x. Try adding +10, +20, +30” appearing while the app is still searching for a driver-- will now have to stop using such nudges. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has now said that such prompts put pressure on consumers to pay more at the very moment they were waiting for their ride to be confirmed. Read more.
What’s in focus of SC panel's probe into CJP protest
{{/usCountry}}Ride-booking apps that prompt users to pay more -- with messages such as “Captains aren’t accepting at ₹x. Try adding +10, +20, +30” appearing while the app is still searching for a driver-- will now have to stop using such nudges. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has now said that such prompts put pressure on consumers to pay more at the very moment they were waiting for their ride to be confirmed. Read more.
What’s in focus of SC panel's probe into CJP protest
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court has directed its five-member high-powered enquiry committee (HPEC) to begin its probe into the July protests by examining the use of pellet guns, targeted violence and harassment of female protesters, injuries sustained by police personnel and destruction of property, while making clear that broader constitutional questions arising from the July protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will be decided by the court itself. Know more.
Saudi Arabia warns Houthis of ‘red line’
Saudi Arabia has warned the Houthis of a “red line” after a drone was shot down and destroyed near Mecca. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen stated that the Houthi drone was destroyed before it entered the prohibited airspace over the holy city. The drone, intercepted on Tuesday evening, was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca. Read more here.
After lay off message from Oracle, wife narrates man's heartbreak
US tech giant Oracle carried out its latest round of layoffs on Tuesday, which is reportedly said to have impacted around 2,500 people. Amid the mass layoffs, the story of Sourabh Sahu has gone viral online. His heartbreak, shared by his wife Pooja Sahu, has captured hearts online as many continue to navigate their way through the mass layoffs in the tech sector. Read here.
Lionel Messi's last rodeo for Argentina
On August 31, 2026, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football, bringing an illustrious Argentina career to a close. But on October 6, he will wear the Albiceleste shirt one last time, with the icon picked for a farewell game in an upcoming friendly match against Benin in Buenos Aires on October 6. Read more here