The Chinese Ministry of Commerce barred Altana, a supply chain software company used by Wayfair, from doing business with entities in China following recent US import bans. Altana helps companies identify forced labor risks using global data and AI. The restriction may limit data access for clients like Wayfair, complicating compliance with evolving regulations.

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Global supply chain transparency is becoming an increasingly complex challenge for multinational companies, as the confluence of geopolitics and rapid advances in technology continues to reshape the way firms operate. The recent decision by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to bar Altana, a US-based software company that specializes in supply chain mapping, from conducting business with entities in China exemplifies the mounting difficulties companies face in navigating cross-border regulations while leveraging new tools like artificial intelligence.On August 5, China announced the addition of Altana and six other organizations to a countermeasures list, following the United States’ move in late July 2026 to expand its list of Chinese entities banned from US imports over alleged human rights abuses. The other companies and groups on China’s list include the nonprofits Responsible Business Alliance and Verité Group, human rights organization Human Rights in China, lab-testing company Stratum Reservoir, and Applied DNA Sciences (recently renamed BNB Plus Corp after pivoting from fiber tracking to blockchain services).Altana, which counts major retailers such as Wayfair among its clients, provides software that enables companies to identify forced labor risks and ensure compliance with evolving regulatory demands. The software compiles and analyzes massive datasets sourced globally, including China, to give clients a panoramic view of their multi-tier supply chains. With its inclusion on China’s barred entities list, Altana may face significant hurdles in obtaining key data from the country, a move that could complicate its ability to provide real-time risk assessments for global clients like Wayfair.Wayfair, which sources 40 million products from 20,000 suppliers worldwide, says it faces a particularly complex compliance burden. “You can’t manage what we don’t see,” said Evan Friedler, director of regulatory and government affairs at Wayfair, in a July interview. Historically, the company’s supply chain monitoring focused on direct, first-tier suppliers, but growing international regulations have forced it to look deeper into multi-layered supplier networks - exposing potential risks such as labor violations or sanctioned firms several tiers removed from direct contracts.The adoption of AI-powered platforms like Altana’s has allowed Wayfair to automate what was previously a manual, time-intensive process of checking data from third-party vendors and self-reported supplier information. Altana’s system draws from a mix of paid and public sources, and clients contribute non-confidential data that helps enrich an interconnected supply chain graph. For Wayfair, this enables the compliance team to spot flagged suppliers more quickly and investigate potential alerts supported by documentation and background, rather than relying solely on initial reports or labor-intensive audits.Despite these technological gains, the new restrictions on Altana could limit access to critical Chinese data. Wayfair acknowledged the development but stressed its continued commitment to improving supply chain transparency with technology. Altana declined to comment on China’s actions or the potential impact on its operations, but previously highlighted the importance of its “Google Maps for the supply chain” approach to mapping risk in global trade.As geopolitical tensions persist and regulations tighten, the challenges of maintaining both compliance and operational efficiency across the world’s supply networks are likely to intensify, leaving many companies to rely even more heavily on technology - despite the very real limitations imposed by international disputes.

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AI can clarify supply chain rules for global firms - unless geopolitics interfere

Anthropic has introduced an "imperceptible watermark" to Claude AI-generated text for compliance with the EU AI Act, prompting backlash from users and developers. New tools like Watermarks Remover and MarkScrub aim to erase these watermarks. Legal experts note no explicit EU ban exists on watermark removal, though misuse could violate provider policies.

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As the use of artificial intelligence tools becomes increasingly mainstream, efforts to make AI-generated text easier to identify have triggered both regulatory changes and rising resistance from users and developers. Anthropic, the creator of the Claude AI model, recently introduced what it calls an "imperceptible watermark" on text generated by certain Claude models, aiming to help label AI-created content in line with the European Union's AI Act requirements. This statistical watermark is embedded in the pattern of word choices and is designed to persist even if the text is copied and pasted.While some users and industry observers have welcomed the move as a step toward greater transparency, others are voicing concerns about unintentional labeling. Some worry the watermark could tag all work touched by Claude, even when the tool is only used for editing, translation, or summarization, leading to confusion around authorship. As a result, a number of users have reportedly canceled their Claude subscriptions, according to Business Insider.The backlash has spurred a surge in interest for tools promising to remove such digital marks. Google Trends showed a 60% week-on-week increase in searches for "AI watermark remover" in the US. Developers and entrepreneurs are quickly responding, building tools to strip or disrupt watermarks embedded in AI-generated text and files. Paris-based tech entrepreneur Guillaume Meyer, founder of Memo, an AI tool for brands, launched an open-source "Watermarks Remover" project days after Anthropic's announcement. His tool removes hidden characters and metadata, and rewrites text to preserve its meaning, aiming to alter the statistical patterns used to detect watermarks. It has garnered over 14,000 stars on GitHub, signaling significant interest in the developer community. Meyer notes that while he supports content attribution, he objects to watermarking as it "treats authorship as a binary thing," potentially marking even lightly edited content as AI-generated.Similar efforts have emerged elsewhere. AI educator Sabrina Ramonov promoted a free, browser-based tool that claims to remove hidden AI marks from various file types including PDFs, Word documents, and images. In Tokyo, developer Ansh Aneja created a Claude-specific watermark remover, later rolling out a local open-source version called MarkScrub which reportedly garnered 8,500 users in a single day, though those figures have not been independently verified.Despite the proliferation of these tools, the effectiveness in reliably removing the watermarks remains uncertain. Experts such as Thibaud Gloaguen of ETH Zurich’s Secure, Reliable, and Intelligent Systems Lab emphasize that watermarking techniques will always face challenges because text can always be rewritten or altered to evade detection.The legal status of watermark removers is also unclear. While the EU's AI Act requires AI providers to ensure their labeling is robust against attempts to remove or modify it, the regulations do not explicitly prohibit third parties from creating or using removal tools. Dmitri Roussinov from the University of Strathclyde points out that obligations to preserve watermarks apply mainly to the AI providers, not to external developers or users. However, AI providers may have to label new output as AI-generated if their own tools are used to regenerate text after watermark removal.The debate over watermarking and its circumvention is likely to intensify as Anthropic plans to extend its watermarking system to new and older Claude models beginning August 2. The company also intends to launch an API for text detection, raising further questions about enforcement and the future of AI-generated content identification. As Konrad Kollnig of Maastricht University observes, once detection methods are public, it becomes easier for others to build tools to counter them, reflecting an ongoing cat-and-mouse dynamic in the race to identify and obfuscate AI-generated text.

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Efforts to watermark AI content are driving the rise of watermark removal tools

Sebastian Thrun, a pioneer in self-driving technology and former leader at Waymo and Google Brain, has launched a stealth robotics startup called Dulo. The company is developing "foundation models for hardware design" to enable rapid manufacturing. Its team includes leaders from Waymo, Google Brain, and Stanford’s AI Lab. Few details are currently public.

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Sebastian Thrun, a leading figure in the self-driving car and robotics industry, has quietly unveiled his latest venture, a robotics startup named Dulo. The announcement came during the final moments of his keynote address at the Actuate robotics conference, which took place on Tuesday in San Francisco. Thrun, addressing an audience filled with robotics professionals and entrepreneurs, offered only a few details, emphasizing the early-stage and stealth nature of the company."I am not speaking about the company yet," Thrun told attendees. "It's under stealth, it's very small. But it's in robotics." Despite the limited public information, a sparse Stanford-hosted website for Dulo provides some insight into the company's ambitions. According to the site, Dulo is working on "foundation models for hardware design" with the stated goal of enabling "manufacturing at lightspeed." The website also notes that the team includes leaders from several high-profile organizations, including Waymo, Google Brain, and Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL), which Thrun had previously directed.Thrun has a well-established track record in pioneering new technologies. He first attracted significant attention from Google in 2005 after leading his Stanford team to victory in a landmark autonomous-vehicle competition. Thrun’s team successfully completed a 132-mile desert course without any human intervention, a breakthrough demonstration that accelerated the advancement of self-driving technology. This achievement led Google cofounder Larry Page to recruit Thrun to spearhead the company’s fledgling self-driving project, which was later spun out as Waymo.Beyond his work with Waymo, Thrun co-founded Google Brain, the company’s major artificial intelligence research project, and helped launch Google X, Google's experimental innovation lab. He also played a significant role in online education by co-founding Udacity, and later led Kittyhawk, a flying-car startup that has since ceased operations.The details of Dulo’s activities remain closely guarded, but the available information suggests a focus on radically accelerating hardware development and manufacturing through advanced robotics and AI. As the competitive robotics industry continues to evolve, market observers will be watching for further disclosures on Dulo’s technology and plans. With Thrun’s reputation for leading breakthrough projects, the industry is likely to be attentive to any news about this venture.Tips related to this story can be sent to reporter Rya Jetha at rjetha@businessinsider.com or via Signal at rjetha.07. Readers are advised to use a personal email account and a nonwork device for confidential communication.

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Waymo cofounder Sebastian Thrun launches a new robotics startup

Laith Alani, a 20-year-old British Muslim student, was detained by US Customs and Border Protection at Orlando International Airport for nine hours, then held for 14 more, and finally sent back to the UK. CBP declared him inadmissible over immigration concerns, while Alani claims he was profiled because of his religion.

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Laith Alani, a 20-year-old British student, said he felt as if he had been "kidnapped" after being detained by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Orlando International Airport earlier this month. According to Alani, the incident occurred on July 3 as he arrived in the United States to visit a relative in California and tour Florida’s theme parks. Instead, he was subjected to nine hours of questioning by CBP officers, followed by an additional 14 hours held in a cell before being placed on a flight back to the United Kingdom. Alani claimed the intensive scrutiny was a result of his being Muslim, an allegation CBP firmly denies.Alani, who is autistic and has a heart disorder, spoke to the Guardian about his experience, saying he had traveled to the US with a valid 10-year, multi-entry B1/B2 tourist visa. He had previously been denied a visa waiver (ESTA) after disclosing a visit to Iraq, where he has family, but was subsequently granted the full visa after his application. Alani had booked a £2,500, week-long holiday in the US, planning to see family and visit popular tourist attractions.CBP stated that Alani was found inadmissible because he was "unable to overcome the presumption he was an intending immigrant," following an inspection of his documentation and travel history. According to the Times of India, Alani said CBP officials intensely questioned him about his relatives, neighbors, hobbies, and previous trips abroad, specifically a 2023 visit to Tunisia made shortly after obtaining his US visa. Alani recounted that it was suggested he should have requested permission or informed the US embassy prior to this Tunisia trip, though he insisted it was a last-minute decision.After the interrogation, Alani said he was told he was being deported and was asked to sign an electronic signature pad. The document he received, which bore his signature, stated he had voluntarily withdrawn his application to enter the country. Alani said he did not fully understand what he was signing, especially given his disabilities. "I would never have signed it if I understood," he said, adding that the experience left him feeling threatened and profiled due to his religion. He described feeling "lucky" that his ordeal had not taken a more severe turn.For its part, CBP asserted that all arriving travelers are subject to inspection and denied accusations of racial profiling. A spokesperson said that Alani was kept in custody for an extended period due to limited flight availability, not because of his background. "Accusations of CBP personnel racially profiling are false. All persons arriving at a US port of entry are subject to inspection by CBP officers," the CBP spokesperson said.The incident has sparked renewed discussion over travel protocols and fair treatment at US borders, with attention on both the discretion exercised by CBP and the challenges faced by travelers with disabilities or unfamiliar with immigration procedures.

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UK student claims US denied him entry for being Muslim despite valid visa

An 82-year-old woman was barred from traveling from Singapore to Seattle after her US visitor visa, issued three years earlier, was found revoked due to a two-day overstay on a previous visit. Her family had to return to India, incurring significant expenses. The visa revocation was not detected at the Bengaluru airport.

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A recent travel incident involving a senior Indian citizen has sparked confusion and debate on social media regarding US visa revocations and airport protocols. According to a detailed account shared by a Reddit user, their 82-year-old mother-in-law was prohibited from traveling from Singapore to Seattle after being informed that her US visitor visa had been revoked without prior explanation. The episode forced accompanying family members to alter their route and return to India, causing significant disruption and financial losses.The family began their journey from Bengaluru, India, en route to Seattle via Singapore. The traveler in question was carrying a 10-year US visitor visa issued three years earlier, a type of visa she had used seamlessly for nearly two decades without issue. On this trip, however, US authorities notified her in Singapore that her visa had been revoked, and she could not continue on to the United States. Despite having successfully cleared airport checks in Bengaluru, the family was only made aware of the visa issue after reaching Singapore.Social media users responded to the original Reddit post with widespread confusion, as many expressed surprise at the notion of a US visa being revoked "mid-flight," a scenario they claimed was almost unheard of. Commenters suggested that, rather than being canceled during the trip, the visa had likely been revoked in advance, with the oversight occurring at the point of departure in Bengaluru where airport staff had failed to detect the change in visa status.Seeking to clarify the situation, the Reddit user later discovered that the visa revocation was linked to a minor overstay during the mother-in-law's previous trip to the United States. Records showed she had arrived in the US on February 22 and was required to depart by August 21 but left two days later on August 23. The user acknowledged that while this constituted a technical violation of visa rules, he felt the response from US authorities was disproportionately severe given the minor nature of the overstay.The family was left grappling with both the emotional and financial repercussions, having to book last-minute flight tickets, arrange alternative accommodations, and endure the overall disruption caused by the incident. In his post, the Redditor expressed willingness to accept the visa revocation as a consequence of their mistake, but criticized the lack of advance notice and the apparent lapses in airport protocol that led to the ordeal. He described the experience as both negligent and harrowing, underscoring the need for better communication and diligence from airport and immigration officials.As of now, official explanations from the involved immigration authorities remain pending. The case highlights the importance of strict adherence to visa stipulations and raises questions about inter-airport coordination and passenger notification processes in the event of last-minute changes in travel eligibility.

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Man says mother-in-law's US visa revoked midflight over 2-day overstay

Flock Safety, known for license plate readers in over 6,000 US communities, now earns nearly half its revenue from rapidly growing police drone technology, Drone as First Responder (DFR). Despite privacy concerns and scrutiny over misreads and misuse, Flock has over 200 DFR customers, updated data retention policies, and reports growth outpacing customer losses.

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In the evolving business of surveillance technology, Flock Safety is rapidly diversifying beyond its well-known license plate readers, placing an increasing bet on drones as a key growth engine. During an interview on the "All-In" podcast released Monday, CEO Garrett Langley revealed that less than half of the company’s “forward-looking revenue” now comes from its original license plate-scanning business. Instead, Flock’s newest offering, Drones as First Responder (DFR), is emerging as its fastest growing segment, with drones capable of reaching emergencies ahead of police officers.Langley described the company’s new drone technology as poised to transform first-response dynamics. “When a 9-1-1 call happens, instead of sending an officer first, you can send a drone,” Langley explained, highlighting both the speed and potential for safer outcomes in tense situations. He recounted an incident in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where a drone clarified a suspected firearm was actually a large lighter, defusing what could have been a dangerous confrontation for both police and the individual involved.Flock Safety, recently valued at $8.4 billion, has already secured over 200 DFR customers including both police departments and private sector companies, according to a company spokesperson. As the company ramps up production of its drones in Georgia, this expansion into aerial surveillance comes as its foundational license plate reader business confronts heightened scrutiny over privacy issues and accuracy.With more than 6,000 U.S. communities hosting Flock cameras, their systems systematically log vehicle license plates, models, bumper stickers, and dents. However, this high degree of surveillance capability has fueled privacy concerns among advocacy groups. Critics such as Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU, caution that drones can gather intimate information from vantage points inaccessible to officers on the ground. He warned in a recent white paper that “drones can watch us - sometimes closely enough to see the pores on our skin,” while individuals are generally unaware of the extent of footage being collected.Operational challenges have also surfaced. In Roseville, California, Flock’s license plate readers misidentified plates in 71 percent of reviewed alerts, resulting in some innocent civilians being mistakenly detained at gunpoint or jailed because officers failed to verify false hits. According to The Washington Post, at least 50 U.S. law enforcement officials have faced accusations or charges of misusing license plate reader technology, with Flock equipment involved in 46 of those cases.Responding to mounting criticism, Flock announced on Thursday an update to its privacy and security protocols, reducing the default retention period for license plate data from one month to one week. The company reaffirmed that existing customers can maintain their current data retention periods if these have received local authorization. Langley, in a video message sent to Business Insider, stated that Flock is “finding bad cops and holding them accountable” and expressed hope for industry-wide regulatory changes.Despite some communities reconsidering or canceling their use of Flock’s technology, the company maintains that such churn is far outpaced by growth, with a spokesperson citing a growth rate seven times its current rate of contract losses. As law enforcement agencies and private firms weigh the promise and perils of next-generation surveillance, Flock Safety’s pivot toward drones positions it at the forefront of the debate over the price of safety versus privacy in American communities.

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Flock CEO: Drone segment surges as company grows past license plate cameras

Handshake AI is offering up to $30,000, or $6 per accepted page, for high-quality written documents from professionals in fields like consulting, finance, legal, software engineering, and data science. Applicants must own the rights to the documents. Concerns include data privacy, copyright ownership, and unclear vetting or acceptance criteria for submissions.

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A new frontier in artificial intelligence development is putting a price on office paperwork, as Handshake AI, a company specializing in AI training data, is offering up to $30,000 to professionals willing to share their old work documents. The role, titled "Professional Document Contributor," promises $6 per page for high-quality written documents, with a cap of 50 documents and 100 pages per document. Candidates with experience in sectors such as consulting, finance, legal, software engineering, and data science are encouraged to apply. Handshake AI is seeking plain text files, including Word documents and PDFs, while slide decks and presentations are typically excluded from consideration.The company makes clear that only applicants who both own the documents and are authorized to share them will be considered. Handshake AI has not specified exactly what makes a document eligible or what criteria will be used for accepting submissions, leaving some ambiguity about what applicants can expect from the process. Accepted files will be compensated at the advertised rate, but the total payout cannot exceed $30,000 for any one contributor.The initiative comes amid an industry-wide scramble among AI companies for large troves of data suitable for training new models. Companies have even experimented with compensating people for recording other tasks - such as cleaning homes or folding laundry - so they can be filmed for AI-driven robotics applications. Nevertheless, acceptance rates for such programs can be constrained by strict data suitability rules and privacy requirements.Thomas Ahlering, a partner at King & Spalding with expertise in data privacy, cited multiple concerns over the offering. Chief among them is the lack of transparency regarding how these documents will be used or whether they might be shared with other organizations. Ahlering also raised issues of copyright and document ownership, pointing out that material produced for an employer is almost certainly property of that employer, not the employee. The situation grows more complicated when work is produced for clients or when it contains sensitive business information, making it unclear if true ownership rests with the worker or another party.Handshake AI did not respond to questions about how it would verify contributors' rights to the submitted documents. The potential for compliance and privacy breaches is significant, with experts warning that most employers would object to former employees sharing internal documents - even for sizable financial incentives.As AI developers continue to pay increasingly high sums for fresh training data, the tension between opportunity and risk is only set to grow. For workers who possess documents they truly own, the offer may be tempting. Yet the boundaries around what is legitimately shareable remain murky, highlighting ongoing questions about data ownership and privacy in a rapidly evolving sector.

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Handshake AI offers up to $30K for your original work-related documents

A Delhi court dismissed the plea of four Gujarat Police officers accused of taking a minor boy from Delhi to Ahmedabad to pressure his father to surrender. The court ruled such actions were not part of their official duties, upheld the trial court's decision to frame kidnapping charges, and denied the officers' claim for protection as public servants.

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A Delhi court has dismissed a plea filed by four Gujarat Police officers accused of kidnapping a minor boy from Delhi and transporting him to Ahmedabad in 2008 while searching for his father, who was wanted in a criminal case. The August 12 order from Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh rejected the officers’ claim that their official duties justified their actions, ruling that taking custody of the child to pressure his father did not fall within the scope of legitimate police work.The case originated with an incident on May 25, 2008, when the mother of the minor alleged that several Gujarat Police personnel in plain clothes arrived at her scrap shop in Delhi. The officers were reportedly looking for her husband, an accused individual in a separate criminal case. According to the complaint, the police officers took the minor boy away from his mother's custody and transported him to Gujarat.During the ensuing proceedings, the prosecution provided evidence that the child had allegedly been confined, abused, and beaten while in the officers’ custody. The case file included the boy’s statement, as recorded before a magistrate, in which he claimed he was held in a police lock-up and subjected to torture during the journey from Delhi to Ahmedabad.The officers contested the charges on the grounds that they were discharging their official duties, arguing that as public servants, any prosecution required prior government sanction. They maintained that searching for an absconding accused fell within the remit of their duties, and that the actions taken in service of that search should be protected under law.Judge Parveen Singh, however, found no merit in the officers’ argument. The court determined that for such protection to apply, the alleged act must bear a reasonable connection to the officers’ official duties. The ruling made it clear that removing a minor from his mother’s care and using him as leverage to induce the surrender of a wanted man cannot, under any circumstances, be considered part of official police work. The court sharply criticized the officers, stating that they behaved like “colonial overlords” and had “used the child as bait” - language that underscored the court’s disapproval of their conduct.As a result, the court dismissed the officers’ revision petition and upheld earlier orders from the trial court, which had taken cognizance of the alleged offense and directed that charges of kidnapping be framed against the policemen. The case is set to proceed based on these findings.This decision highlights strict judicial scrutiny of actions exceeding the limits of law enforcement authority, reaffirming legal protections for minors and the responsibilities of public servants. The matter remains ongoing, with further proceedings expected following the framing of charges.

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Tracing a father with a minor is not police duty, Delhi court rules

The Department of Defence Production has notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List of 405 defence items worth ₹3,070 crore, aiming to reduce imports and boost domestic manufacturing. The list covers platforms like Su-30MKI, T-90, warships, and missile systems, with procurement from Indian industry and timelines set via the SRIJAN Defence Portal.

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India’s efforts to boost domestic defence manufacturing received another major push with the Department of Defence Production (DDP) releasing its sixth Positive Indigenisation List. The new list, announced by the Ministry of Defence on August 18, 2026, identifies 405 strategically significant defence items that will be sourced exclusively from Indian industry once indigenous development is successful. This initiative aims to reduce reliance on imports and encourage local production, under the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative.According to the Ministry, the list comprises line replaceable units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components, and raw materials, encompassing a broad range of military platforms and systems. Of the 405 items, 16 are assigned to the Indian Coast Guard, while 389 relate to defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs). The business potential for these items is estimated at ₹3,070 crore once indigenisation is achieved.Platforms and systems covered by the list include advanced light helicopters, light utility helicopters, the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, the light combat aircraft, and the AL-31FP jet engine. The list also features components for armoured vehicles such as the T-72 and T-90 tanks and the BMP-II infantry combat vehicle, as well as warships, missile systems including the Konkurs-M, Invar, and MRSAM, and critical defence electronics like radars, sonars, fire-control systems, and satellite communication equipment. High explosive anti-tank ammunition and other crucial defence equipment have also been included.The detailed list, along with indicative timelines for indigenisation, has been published on the SRIJAN Defence Portal. This platform, launched in August 2020, serves as a dedicated space where DPSUs and service headquarters can identify defence items for Indian industry - including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups - to undertake indigenous development and manufacturing.The Ministry stated that the DPSUs and the Indian Coast Guard will advance indigenisation through several pathways, such as the 'Make' procedure and in-house development, with a particular emphasis on engaging domestic industry and MSMEs. This approach is intended to create wider opportunities for Indian companies, foster investments and innovation, and fortify the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem.Since the launch of the SRIJAN Portal, more than 33,000 defence items have been posted for indigenisation as of June 2026. The first five positive indigenisation lists included 5,012 items, and the sixth list brings the ongoing indigenisation push to a new scale. Over the past five years, more than 15,700 defence items have been successfully developed within India, resulting in an estimated import substitution worth around ₹9,000 crore. Additionally, DPSUs have placed procurement orders, including those fulfilled through in-house production, amounting to approximately ₹10,000 crore with domestic vendors through March 2026.The Ministry of Defence’s continuous expansion of the positive indigenisation lists signals a sustained commitment to reducing import dependence and achieving self-sufficiency in critical defence technologies, while positioning Indian industry as an integral player in the sector’s future growth.

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Government to source 405 major defence items from Indian manufacturers

U.S. President Donald Trump cited India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to advocate for stronger American election laws, including voter ID and mail-in voting restrictions. The Indian Congress party mocked Trump’s comments, sarcastically offering to send Kumar and voting machines to the U.S. The proposed SAVE America Act faces opposition in the U.S. Congress.

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A political exchange between the United States and India escalated this week after former U.S. President Donald Trump cited India's recent general elections to bolster his push for stricter American voting laws, drawing a sharp response from India's opposition Congress party. The episode has underscored how global observations about election practices are increasingly making their way into U.S. political debates, particularly as the U.S. grapples with its own contentious discussions over voting rights and electoral integrity.On Monday, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, referencing comments reportedly made by India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. Trump praised India’s handling of its general elections, highlighting that more than 646 million people participated with less than 1% voting by mail, and that Indian voters were required to present a valid photo identification. Trump added that Kumar had questioned how U.S. elections could function without a valid photo ID requirement. Trump used these references to promote the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a bill under consideration in the U.S. Congress that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, impose a nationwide voter ID mandate, and substantially curtail mail-in voting. Trump has argued that such measures are necessary to combat electoral fraud.The proposed legislation, however, has encountered significant resistance in the U.S. Congress. Democrats and Republicans remain divided on its provisions, and earlier this month the U.S. Senate adjourned for a five-week recess without any substantive action on the bill. The White House released a factsheet on the debate, noting differences in global electoral systems. It pointed out that countries like India and Brazil connect voter identity cards to biometric data, while the U.S. primarily relies on voters self-attesting to their eligibility.Trump’s invocation of the Indian system drew immediate reactions from India’s Congress party. Pawan Khera, head of the party’s media and publicity department, issued a pointed retort on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that Trump “take Gyanesh Kumar Gupta to America” and even offering to send India's electronic voting machines as well. Khera’s post referenced frustrations with both Trump’s comments and broader criticisms of India's own electoral practices, noting, “For all the insults and bullying you’ve sent our way, this is the least we can do for you. To SIR With Love, from India,” with "SIR" appearing to allude to the Election Commission’s recent electoral roll revision.The exchange comes in the context of ongoing debates, in both countries, about the future of election security and access. As the U.S. continues to wrestle with proposed changes to federal voting laws, global comparisons are likely to remain a feature of the discussion, with policymakers and parties using international examples to support their arguments. As of August 18, 2026, there has been no indication from Indian election authorities regarding the remarks attributed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar or any response to the Congress party's comments.

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Trump quotes India's CEC to push U.S. voter ID law; Congress reacts sarcastically

The Delhi High Court refused default bail to Jasir Bilal Wani, accused in the 2025 Red Fort car bomb blast that killed 15 people. Wani was arrested on November 17, 2025, and is charged under the UAPA, BNSS, and Explosive Substances Act. The court upheld his extended detention, dismissing his bail appeal.

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, declined to grant default bail to Jasir Bilal Wani, also known as Danish, who stands accused in the 2025 Red Fort car bomb blast case. The decision was delivered by a bench comprising Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan, who dismissed Wani’s appeal that challenged a previous trial court order from March 30 rejecting his request for default bail.Wani was arrested on November 17, 2025, following the fatal explosion that occurred on November 10, 2025, at Gate No. 4 of the Lal Quila Metro Station in Delhi. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered a case against him under various stringent provisions, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Explosive Substances Act. The blast, which targeted a Hyundai i20 car near the historic Red Fort at approximately 6:52 pm, resulted in the deaths of 15 people and left several others injured. Investigators allege that Wani provided technical support for the terror operation by modifying drones and attempting to develop rockets, and that he collaborated closely with suicide bomber Umar un Nabi in planning the attack.During legal proceedings, the trial court initially extended Wani’s period of detention by 45 days in February 2026, taking the total remand tenure to 135 days. A further extension of 45 days was subsequently granted, bringing the cumulative pre-trial custody to 180 days. Wani’s application for default bail was refused by the trial court on the grounds of these extensions.In its judgment, the High Court stated that Wani is not eligible for default bail after 90 days solely due to the absence of a specific mention of Section 187 of the BNSS in Section 43D(2) of the UAPA. The bench clarified that the reference to Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) in the UAPA should be interpreted as a reference to Section 187 of the BNSS, according to Section 8(1) of the General Clauses Act of 1897.The NIA has alleged that Wani played a key role in facilitating the terror attack, underscoring his purported technical expertise in adapting drones and attempting to build rocket systems for use in militant operations. The agency further claimed that he was directly involved with Umar un Nabi, the suicide bomber implicated in the Red Fort incident.The High Court’s latest decision upholds the lower court’s refusal to grant bail, marking another development in the ongoing legal proceedings relating to one of the most significant terror attacks in the capital in recent years. The case, given the involvement of multiple anti-terror statutes and the gravity of the charges, is expected to move forward with close judicial scrutiny as authorities continue to investigate the broader network implicated in the November 2025 blast.

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Delhi High Court rejects default bail plea of accused in 2025 Red Fort blast case

Ravi Teja’s new film Irumudi, directed by Shiva Nirvana and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, releases Friday. The film combines the Ayyappa Swamy Mala backdrop, family drama, and a crime angle. Priya Bhavani Shankar plays the female lead. Shiva Nirvana expressed confidence that Irumudi will meet expectations and praised Baby Nakshatra’s casting.

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As anticipation builds among Telugu cinema audiences, Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja is set to return to the big screen with his latest project, "Irumudi," scheduled for release this Friday. The emotional family drama marks a new collaboration between Ravi Teja and director Shiva Nirvana, who is known for his previous work on well-received titles such as "Ninnu Kori" and "Majili." Bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers, the film also stars Priya Bhavani Shankar in the lead female role.Set against the backdrop of the revered Ayyappa Swamy tradition, "Irumudi" stands apart from the director’s earlier projects. Speaking to the media ahead of the film’s release, Shiva Nirvana detailed how the film merges three unique layers: the spiritual (Ayyappa Swamy Mala), an engaging family drama, and a crime angle. This multi-faceted narrative has been at the center of a targeted promotional campaign, and according to the director, early audience reactions to teasers and trailers suggest that expectations are high.Director Shiva Nirvana emphasized that exploring new storylines with established stars can significantly enhance a film’s reach. The Ayyappa Swamy backdrop is a relatively uncharted territory for Telugu cinema, and Nirvana believes Ravi Teja's involvement is pivotal in bringing the story to a wide audience. He also clarified that while a few films in the past, like "Ayyappa Swamy Mahathyam," have touched this theme, "Irumudi" benefits from the star power of Ravi Teja in a way that distinguishes it from previous productions. Although the film's first look drew some comparisons to the film "Maalikapuram," Nirvana stated that he is confident in the uniqueness and strength of his material.Interestingly, Ravi Teja was not the immediate choice during the scriptwriting phase, but Nirvana shared that, as the story progressed, it became clear the actor would fit the role perfectly. Ravi Teja's bearded look matched the character’s design, and the director noted that the actor granted him complete creative freedom during the shoot.Child actor Baby Nakshatra was chosen to play a key role after her Instagram reels caught the production team's attention. Following a successful look test and video shoots, she was finalized for the part, which required strong local authenticity and relatability.Nirvana describes "Irumudi" as a natural progression from his previous romantic dramas to a story that interweaves family emotions and crime elements within a spiritual context. The director expressed hope that, like his earlier works, "Irumudi" will leave a lasting impact on audiences and be remembered for its distinct narrative blend.With just days to go until its release, "Irumudi" is poised to test whether its innovative approach can resonate with viewers and set a new benchmark for Telugu-language family dramas grounded in regional tradition and contemporary storytelling.

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