Defence & Industry: The UAE–India Defence Industry Forum kicked off in Abu Dhabi, with both sides pitching deeper defence and industrial partnerships. Military Diplomacy: India and the US began the 22nd Yudh Abhyas exercise in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, with a clear “technology infusion” focus on drones and autonomous systems. Consumer Protection: India amended e-commerce rules to strengthen consumer safeguards—platforms must disclose sponsored listings, prevent misleading search results, and comply with dark-pattern norms. UPI Policy: India ended merchant-free processing for larger UPI payments, with a 0.4% merchant fee on transactions above ₹2,000 from Oct 15 (consumer use stays free). Delhi Governance & Safety: After the Satya Niketan PG collapse, Delhi decided to build student accommodation and PG registration portals within 15 days, plus a grievance dashboard. Courts & Rights: A Delhi court granted three weeks’ interim bail to Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, while Justice Mittal sought to implead AITA Trust and DLTA in the AITA constitution case. Terror & Neighbours: India dismissed Pakistan’s renewed Masood Azhar bounty as “gimmicks,” demanding concrete action. India–China: MEA said PM Modi told Xi to follow “three mutuals” (respect, interest, sensitivity) and address core concerns. Nepal Ties: Nepal’s finance minister is set to visit India for flood reconstruction talks as losses mount. Economy & Trade: Commerce officials flagged progress on EU and Canada FTAs and a US bilateral meeting for Piyush Goyal ahead of G20 trade talks.