The Australian government has announced plans to issue fines worth millions of dollars to companies that fail to protect customers from scams.

On Friday, Stephen Jones, the assistant treasurer, released details of the government's proposed new laws, that would force banks, telecommunications companies and technology giants to do more to protect customers under mandatory sector-specific codes.

The codes will create new obligations for designated sectors to combat scammers and protect Australians, news agency reported.

Companies in those sectors that fail to meet their obligations will face fines worth up to $33.6 million.

Researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous research and development centre of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a low-cost solution that can enhance the performance of engines vehicles.

Called nanosecond laser surface texturing, it helps to increase lubrication of the moving parts within the engine and thus boosts engine performance.

Internal combustion (IC) engines represent the backbone of modern transport, but the friction and wear between moving parts pose a big challenge to their performance. It causes enormous energy loss and, as a result, low fuel economy.

Nanosecond laser surface texturing aims to address this problem, the researchers said.

The residents of Dariyapur Mandit Tola village in Bihar's Munger district are terrified after a series of animal attacks, which they claim are jackals.

In the past week, around 15 people have fallen victim to jackal bites. The incidents are concentrated in this village, which lies near a forested area under the Haveli Kharagpur block.

According to Raju Paswan, a representative of the village head of Dariyapur, the jackals are attacking villagers and then retreating into the nearby forest, creating fear and unease among the locals. The villagers have been on edge, fearing further attacks, which have caused them sleepless nights.

In a significant development, China has banned PwC China -- part of the Big Four -- for six months and fined it nearly $62 million for alleged auditing lapses, the media reported on Friday.

The action came after an announcement by China’s securities regulator that PwC China approved the accounts of beleaguered property company Evergrande, even as the real estate developer “inflated mainland revenues by nearly $80 billion in the two years before its default in 2021,” the Financial Times reported.

According to China’s finance ministry, PwC China and its Guangzhou branch were aware of “major mistakes” in the audit of Evergrande from 2018 to 2020 but failed to point them out.

As per an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin issued on Friday, no heavy rain alerts or warnings have been issued for Gujarat till September 19.

All districts in Gujarat are expected to experience light to moderate rain during this time.

The IMD report highlights that the offshore trough at mean sea level currently extends from South Gujarat to the Karnataka coast.

Additionally, a cyclonic circulation over South Gujarat is now positioned over Saurashtra and surrounding areas, between 3.1 and 4.5 kms above mean sea level.

On Friday, light to moderate rain/thundershowers are likely at a few places across Gujarat, including districts like Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Valsad.

Global virtual reality (VR) headset shipments fell 4 per cent in the April-June quarter (Q2), primarily due to a sharp drop in Sony’s PlayStation VR2 shipments, a report said on Friday.

The decline was also due to overall weakness in the consumer VR segment due to a lack of application innovations and a sluggish economy, according to Counterpoint’s Global XR (AR/VR) Headset Model Tracker.

In contrast, demand from the enterprise VR segment remained relatively stable in Q2.

Senior analyst Flora Tang said that despite technological advancements in newly-launched products from major players, the global VR headset market remains sluggish compared to its peak in 2021 and 2022, “when Meta’s Quest 2 series successfully attracted users with innovative gaming, entertainment and Metaverse experiences during the pandemic.”

Over 100 people including 30 children were hospitalised following a feast during Ganeshotsav celebrations in Elgin Society, located in the Hapa area of Jamnagar.

The affected individuals were rushed to GG Hospital for urgent medical care, causing the Trauma Ward to be overwhelmed by patients.

The incident unfolded after Elgin Society residents consumed rice and potatoes during a Ganesh Pandal feast. Soon after, attendees reported symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting, leading to widespread panic in the community. The food included modak, rice, and other sweets. The people who prepared the food are now being questioned.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called for reforming the global financial system's structure and boosting the engagement of developing countries in economic decision-making mechanisms.

On Thursday, he appealed in a virtual speech at the UN event "Global Call on the Summit of the Future," news agency reported.

The event comes amid an increasing international crisis, both politically and economically, he said, stressing the serious escalation in the Middle East in particular.

Punjab Police on Friday arrested the main perpetrator among suspects involved in a low-intensity grenade explosion in Chandigarh’s upscale Sector 10 residential locality.

The explosion occurred at a house on Wednesday. The Chandigarh Police on Thursday announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of the two suspects.

The police have arrested the main perpetrator of the grenade blast case in a joint operation with the central Agency. The case is solved with the nabbing of Rohan Masih, resident of Amritsar rural, and identification of the other accused as well, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav wrote on X.

He said one 9MM Glock pistol along with ammunition recovered from his possession.

Further investigation to unravel the entire conspiracy is being done jointly in coordination with the Chandigarh Police.

In a major relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court on Friday granted him bail in the corruption case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam, but set some conditions.

However, Justice Surya Kant, heading a two-judge bench, dismissed his distinct plea challenging the legality of arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged liquor scam and the subsequent remand.

Justice Kant held that there exists “no merit” in the contention that the CBI failed to adhere to the procedural law governing arrest and that Kejriwal's arrest did not suffer from any procedural infirmities.