Key events

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Opal Healthcare refunds residents after review into misuse of aged care standards

Opal Healthcare has refunded roughly $190,000 to almost 350 residents under a sweeping review into misuse of new aged care standards, AAP reports.

The standards came into effect in November and were designed to give residents more say over what premium products they opted to pay for.

Guidelines said services that were previously offered for free could not be charged, though they were not made law.

Reports emerged months later of aged care providers wrongfully charging residents for basic amenities, including television and wifi services.

In some cases, services were removed if they were not paid for.

An investigation was launched by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission after the aged care minister, Sam Rae, informed the regulator of claims against Opal Healthcare.

He said at the time the removal of services such as air conditioning and televisions was unacceptable.

Anthony Albanese marks September 11 anniversary

Anthony Albanese has marked 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.

Ten Australians were among 2,977 people killed in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and in Pennsylvania – “lives tragically cut short far from home”.

We acknowledge the grief carried by their loved ones. We also honour the courage and selflessness shown in the face of unimaginable horror.

First responders ran towards danger to help others. Ordinary people reached for one another. In the worst of circumstances, we saw extraordinary acts of courage, compassion and humanity.

The prime minister said the anniversary was also an opportunity to reflect on “resilience in the face of profound loss”.

Australia remembers those whose lives were taken, those who survived, those we’ve lost since, and all those who continue to carry the weight of that day.

U.S. venture capitalists once insisted that international startups move stateside before they would write a check. The three 28-year-old founders behind Furo are convinced that their decision to leave Silicon Valley and move back to their home country of Germany has paid off in both VC dollars and business growth.

The startup, which developed software for industrial battery storage systems, has secured $4 million in funding from mostly U.S. backers. And just a year after its founding, Furo has locked in enterprise clients such as German rail company Deutsche Bahn.

“We’re currently moving faster in Europe than if we’d have stayed in the U.S.,” Furo co-founder Lena Sophia Voß said.

On paper, Furo is a Delaware C Corp. that raised a funding round led by U.S.-based TQ Ventures with participation from Neo and Sheryl Sandberg’s fund, Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners. But its journey is also representative of an observation recently shared by VC firm a16z that “there is now an advantage to having one foot in your home country, and one foot in Silicon Valley.”

Furo’s bridge to Silicon Valley was Munich’s Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), which also participated in its round. It was through this program, which is tied to their alma mater TU Munich, that Voß and her co-founders Leonie Wagner and Simon Wittner made it to the Bay Area, where they studied at Stanford and UC Berkeley. 

When they decided to start Furo with the ambition of helping industrial companies reduce their electricity costs, they determined that the problem was more pressing in Europe. Voß said said it was especially critical in Germany, where over the last five years the country went from one energy crisis to another.

Furo could have addressed this market from the U.S. — and briefly did so when it joined Neo’s accelerator program under its former name, Lumera Energy. But Voß said being far from Germany made their work more difficult.

“If you are an early-stage company, very often it’s mostly about your network, and also about being close to your customers,” Voß said.

Amid concerns over immigration restrictions that are also affecting tech employees, the German entrepreneur insisted that in the trio’s case, going home after their respective stints at Apple, Google X, and AI startups was a deliberate move. She said they all had full-time offers from the companies they’d worked at, and all of them could have stayed with visas.

“So it was a decision to go back to Europe not because we needed to, but because we see that right now, it’s a better time to build an energy startup in Europe instead of the U.S.,” Voß said.

According to Voß, starting Furo out of Munich was “highly beneficial” for its growth, “because a lot of people in our network recommended us to our first customers,” as well as for “operational expertise” and mentorship. “Every time we have a challenge, we know exactly whom to call,” she said, adding that being close to technical universities is also helpful for hiring.

It doesn’t hurt, either that “if you compare the salary of an engineer in the U.S. versus Germany, it is just way cheaper,” Voß said. She recalled that Furo’s U.S. investors wondered whether it would be able to source talent for the amount it had budgeted, which was actually at the top end for salaries in Germany. “So it’s definitely better that you can do more with the money,” she added. 

Salary is just one aspect, though. Voß said the quality of talent is also on par, while workers are more accessible because there is less competition with Big Tech and also thanks to Furo’s CDTM ties. “It’s such a great network in Germany and in Europe that people somehow start to know you.” 

The startup is also maintaining its U.S. network.

“We’re back in the U.S. three or four times a year for admin stuff, but also to catch up with our investors and maybe see new investors,” Voß said.

It’s a reminder that, even for startups that are now happy at home, getting the best of both worlds may still mean fundraising from the United States.

Pictured from left to right: Furo cofounders Lena Sophia Voß, Simon Wittner and Leonie Wagner.

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The VIT Chennai–The Hindu Biotech Conclave 2026, to be held in Chennai today, will bring together leading experts, industry leaders and academicians for a one-day dialogue on the growing role of biotechnology in shaping the future. Conceived as a student-centric platform, the conclave seeks to introduce higher secondary students, undergraduates, researchers and biotechnology aspirants to the opportunities, challenges and real-world impact of biotechnology.

The conclave will be inaugurated by Suchitra Ella, co-founder and managing director of Bharat Biotech, and CII-president designate. The programme will be presided over by G. Viswanathan, founder and chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). G. V. Selvam, Vice-President, VIT, will deliver the special address. 

Speaking about the conclave, Mr. Selvam said, “Biotechnology represents one of the most consequential frontiers of education and research, with the power to improve lives and address some of society’s most urgent challenges. Through this conclave, VIT Chennai aims to encourage students to see biotechnology not only as a field of study, but as a pathway to innovation, enterprise and meaningful service to humanity.” 

The opening session will feature a direct interaction between students and Ms. Ella, offering participants an opportunity to engage with one of India’s leading biotechnology entrepreneurs and gain insights from her experience. 

Ganapathy, honorary distinguished professor, IIM Jammu, distinguished professor, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University and emeritus professor, National Academy of Medical Sciences; Mayur Abhaya, managing director, LifeCell International; and Shridevi S, deputy director, Centre for NeuroInformatics, VIT Chennai, will discuss the convergence of technology and biotechnology in conversation with Zubeda Hamid, senior assistant editor, The Hindu. 

The panel on gene editing and precision medicine will focus on advances in genomics, clinical genetics and personalised healthcare. Vinod Scaria, chief data officer, Karkinos Healthcare; Kalpana Gowrishankar, clinical geneticist and counselor, Apollo Hospitals; and G. Jayaraman, dean, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT Chennai, will discuss the movement of gene-based technologies from laboratories into clinical and public health contexts, in conversation with Geetha Srimathi. S, senior reporter, The Hindu. 

A session on India’s emergence as a global biopharma hub will explore the country’s growing role in the global biopharmaceutical landscape and the opportunities shaping its future. Maneesh Paul, CEO, Microvioma, lead co-inventor and program director of the anti-infective Enmetazobactam, Orchid Pharma; Vasan Sambandamurthy, senior vice-president, Bugworks Research India Pvt Ltd; and M. M. Balamurali, Professor, Centre for Healthcare Advancement, Innovation and Research, VIT Chennai, will join Athira Elssa Johnson, senior reporter, The Hindu. 

The funding landscape for biotech research in India will be explored by Ajay Mahipal, co-founder and general partner, HealthKois, in conversation with Serena Josephine M, special correspondent, The Hindu. The discussion will examine capital, institutional support and venture-building ecosystems. 

The last session will feature K. VijayRaghavan, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in conversation with Jacob Koshy, Science Editor, The Hindu. It will explore India’s research and innovation ecosystem, its evolution, key opportunities and the role it can play in shaping the future of biotechnology and life sciences. 

The Biotech Conclave 2026 brings students into direct conversation with experts and thought leaders, offering them a closer look at the latest developments, emerging opportunities and diverse career pathways in biotechnology, spanning research, healthcare innovation, enterprise and public good. 

To watch the event live 

Scan the QR code or visit https://newsth.live/VITBTCLS 

Last Updated:September 11, 2026, 02:11 IST

The petitioner contended that Das used false premises to infer a quid pro quo, thereby describing the judiciary as an instrument of party politics

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing leader has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking criminal contempt proceedings against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Saurav Das.

The petition, filed by Nitin Garg, State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Punjab unit, accuses Das of scandalising the judiciary and casting politically motivated motives on a high-stakes verdict concerning state employee allowances. The move comes amid a series of legal challenges against CJP office-bearers over their online commentary.

The Contempt Allegations and Social Media Post

The legal friction centres on an August 20 post shared by Das on social media platform X. The post commented on an August 3 judgment by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor, which directed the Punjab government to release all pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) installments to state employees and pensioners.

• Roster Violation Claims: Das alleged that the matter was improperly withdrawn from another “independent" bench in violation of the judicial roster.
• Allegations of Political Alignment: In his post, Das claimed the ruling imposed a financial burden of Rs 20,000 crore on the Punjab government—which he termed a political adversary of the BJP—and linked the judgment to the judge’s subsequent elevation.
• Scandalising the Bench: The petitioner contended that Das used false premises to infer a quid pro quo, thereby describing the judiciary as an instrument of party politics and undermining public faith in the administration of justice.

The Underlying Judgment on State Dues

The High Court’s August 3 ruling had instructed the Punjab state administration to clear pending DA/DR dues for thousands of government workers and retirees, imposing a 6 per cent annual interest rate in case of default.

Crucially, the division bench had also ordered the state government to halt all non-essential and unproductive expenditure, including large-scale advertising campaigns across print and social media, until all pending statutory dues were settled.

Demands in the Petition

Garg’s plea urges the High Court to initiate criminal contempt of court proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

• Post Takedown: The petition seeks directions for X Corp to remove the controversial post.
• Unconditional Apology: The plea asks the court to compel Das to tender an unconditional apology on X and keep it pinned for at least 30 days.

The petition has been submitted to the High Court registry and awaits formal listing for a preliminary hearing.

About the Author

Pathikrit Sen Gupta

Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He tra...Read More

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Thursday that the Trump administration isn’t doing enough to monitor and thwart terrorists who still pose a threat to the U.S., 25 years after the 9/11 attacks.

“I worry a lot that we’ve let down our guard on counterterrorism, and I don’t say this to scare anybody or to exaggerate, but I think we are not paying enough attention to resurgent terrorist actions,” Clinton said in an interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell at the VOICES 25th Anniversary Symposium, an event reflecting on the attacks.

Clinton, who was a U.S. senator from New York on 9/11, said that there have been many “close calls” with terrorist plots in the ensuing quarter century and some that succeeded.

“The threat did not go away — it receded — but it is still there, and there are still many thousands of extremists in the world who wish us a great deal of ill,” she said. Clinton argued that the U.S. needs to overcome its internal divisions and confront threats from both nation-state adversaries like Russia, China and Iran, along with non-state adversaries like terrorist groups.

She lashed out at President Donald Trump in her remarks for spending so much attention on his planned White House ballroom. “When you’re more interested in building your ballroom than figuring out what the intelligence is coming out of Afghanistan-that is absolutely contrary to any kind of sensible decision making,” she said.

Clinton accused the Trump administration of dismantling parts of the federal government, including within the State Department, that traditionally collected intelligence and evaluated these terrorist threats. As a result, she said, the U.S. doesn’t have “eyes and ears in a lot of these countries,” including in Western Africa where she said extremism is taking hold.

The administration cut thousands of jobs across the federal government last year as part of the Elon Musk-led DOGE effort, including at the CIA and the State Department.

“I am increasingly concerned because I don’t think we are focused. I know there are very dedicated people still in the government, you know, in the FBI, in the intelligence agencies, I understand that,” she said. “But they don’t have ... the resources, and they’re not given the kind of mission focus that they need right now to adequately do their jobs.”

Reached for comment, the White House referred NBC News to the Department of Homeland Security, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

During the interview, Clinton also reflected on the new revelations about the toxic air quality in Manhattan after 9/11, recalling her own experience at Ground Zero. “It looked like a black curtain ... there was particulates ... there was, you know, acrid smells. My throat hurt.”

Asked if misleading information about the air from the Bush administration at the time was deliberate, bad science or an effort to reassure the public, Clinton said it was “all three.” She said, “I think that there was a certain element of some leaders being unwilling to face the truth because they wanted to get the economy going. They wanted to get Wall Street open. They wanted people to feel like normalcy was possible, and so they either deliberately ignored or they didn’t ask the right questions.”

She also responded to Jon Stewart, comedian and 9/11 health advocate, who said that the U.S. has lost nearly 10,000 people to 9/11-related illnesses, which is three times as many people as the nearly 3,000 killed in the Twin Towers.

Addressing the fact that there are people experiencing these health effects that aren’t registered for programs intended to help these victims, Clinton said, “There needs to be a concerted effort to fund this expanded outreach and screening and treatment. And I would hope that the city, the state, and the federal government would would join together to do that.”

BSP chief Mayawati with her nephew Akash Anand.

A 15-year-old boy survived days at sea after a fishing boat capsized off Alaska, killing his older brother and cousin.

The teen was rescued Monday after he was found clinging to the overturned vessel about four miles east of St. Lawrence Island, the United States Coast Guard said in a news release.

Two other people were found unresponsive in the water. NBC affiliate KTUU of Anchorage identified them as the teen’s older brother and cousin.

The brother died after getting stuck under the boat, the 15-year-old’s mother told the news station. The cousin survived for a day but died, the woman said.

The group was on an 18-foot fishing vessel near the island when it capsized. The Coast Guard said it was notified Sunday night of the overdue vessel. The boat had last been seen Friday departing Savoonga.

Due to the weather and poor visibility Sunday night, an aircrew launched Monday morning to begin the search. The teen was located around 3 p.m. Monday.

“Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District command center coordinated the rescue of the survivor with the Northwest Explorer, a nearby good Samaritan vessel,” the Coast Guard said. “Before departing the scene to refuel, the HC-130 aircrew deployed a line of flares to guide the Northwest Explorer to the overturned vessel.”

Video obtained by KTUU showed the moment the teen was rescued.

The boy, appearing to wear a black hoodie underneath a coat with green pants and black boots, is seen kneeling on the vessel.

Rear Adm. Bob Little, the commander of the Coast Guard Arctic District command center, said their hearts go out to the families and friends, and communities affected by the tragedy.

“We are grateful for the incredible efforts of the motor vessel Northwest Explorer, Federal, State, Village first responders and mission partners who assisted in the effort that resulted in a life saved,” Little said.

Published - September 11, 2026 01:36 am IST

Filing the report on behalf of the DGP, Assistant Inspector General of Police L. Balaji Saravanan listed out the steps taken so far by the Police departmentomply with the top court’s directions. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Published - September 11, 2026 12:20 am IST

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: As about 1,800 of the more than 4,000 super-specialty medical seats are lying vacant even after two rounds of counselling, Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union govt to consider lowering the NEET-SS 2025 qualifying cutoff marks.“Having examined the matter from different perspectives, we are of the opinion that it may be necessary to reconsider the decision for reducing the cut-off percentile,” a bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe said.“This is rather compelling because a large number of seats have remained unfilled even as of today,” the court said in the case concerning admissions under NEET-SS 2025 counselling.The bench asked additional solicitor-general Aishwarya Bhati to convey its concern to the Union health ministry and seek an appropriate decision and listed the matter for Sept 17.Earlier, Centre told Supreme Court that it had decided not to reduce the cut-off marks this year after consultations between all stakeholders — ministry of health, medical counselling committee (MCC) and National Medical Commission (NMC).

“As per the directions of Supreme Court in the Kevin Joy case (2023), it has been decided to conduct a ‘special stray round’ by the medical counselling committee for the purpose of filling the vacant super-specialty seats arising out of NEET-SS 2025 counselling without reduction in the percentile criteria prescribed for admission in the said special stray round,” Bhati said, placing before the court a one-page note on the govt’s decision.Advocate Rashmi Nandakumar, appearing for some of the petitioners, however, told the bench that around 2,000 seats in colleges would remain vacant if the cut-off percentile was not reduced. She said that in the past, authorities had conducted special rounds, mop-up rounds, stray vacancy rounds and relaxation of eligibility criteria, whenever substantial super-specialty seats remained vacant. She said that at least a mop-up/stray vacancy round be conducted for seats remaining vacant after completion of the ongoing counselling process so that no super-specialty seat would go waste.Senior counsel P Wilson, who appeared on behalf of service doctors in Tamil Nadu, told the court that the 1,800 super-specialty seats remaining vacant included cardiology, neurosurgery and oncology — disciplines that train doctors to manage some of the country’s most complex illnesses. Allowing such seats to lapse would waste public investment and deepen the shortage of trained specialists, he said.Doctors told TOI that they were tired of waiting for admissions.

The eligibility test for super-specialty admissions was completed in Dec 2025, and results were announced a month later. Until now, two rounds of counselling have been completed, and more than 1,800 seats, including those in cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, and haematology, are vacant. “How can so many doctors, physicians and surgeons, be kept on wait for such a long time?” asked Dr R Sathish, a physician.

“Unlike in MBBS or sometimes PGs, most candidates are breadwinners. Admissions to a super-specialty course means training while working for a hospital. Many have quit jobs in Feb waiting for admissions. While the seat we want is vacant, we don’t get it,” he said.Experts said that in earlier years, the authorities reduced the qualifying cutoff to zero after regular counselling rounds. “That made doctors who had appeared for the examination eligible to compete for vacant seats. Those single digits, zero or negative marks, become eligible,” said Dr K Senthil, former member of the postgraduate board of National Medical Commission. This relaxation offers an immediate way to prevent seats from going unused, without addressing broader issues such as weak job prospects after training, modest salaries, demanding work conditions and uncertain career paths, he said.