💰 Nike cofounder gives massive donation to Oregon university

Nike cofounder Phil Knight and his wife Penny have gifted a massive $1 billion to the University of Oregon. This significant donation, revealed during an unscheduled call, is earmarked for establishing a new engineering college at the institution. This pledge follows previous large contributions, such as a $2 billion gift to OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute in 2025. University President Karl Scholz called the gift an endorsement of higher education's ability to foster innovation. The donation arrives as US university funding faces ongoing uncertainty from federal cuts. 💰

🏛️ Assam CM backs CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid impeachment talks

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has openly supported the Election Commission of India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. This support comes amidst ongoing political pressure regarding Gyanesh Kumar's potential impeachment proceedings. The controversy has been in the news for several weeks, drawing attention from various political parties across the nation. Sarma's stance signals a potential political alignment in the current high-stakes electoral environment. The situation is expected to continue evolving as the impeachment process moves forward.

📱 Galaxy S27 might be pricier due to memory costs

Leaked info suggests the Samsung Galaxy S27 could cost more than expected because of rising memory prices. The phones are expected to use Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 SoC and UFS 5.1 storage. A Counterpoint report states memory now accounts for 20% or more of flagship smartphone costs. Buyers might want to consider last year's models before prices climb even further. This memory crisis is affecting phones across multiple brands globally. 💸

💧 Cauvery water fight heats up in Supreme Court

Tamil Nadu alleged a 20 TMC water deficit from the Cauvery river in the Supreme Court on September 24, 2026. Karnataka argued it faces a terrible drought situation while fulfilling its duties as the upper riparian state. Karnataka had realized 112.729 TMC, but Tamil Nadu claimed a shortfall of 20.969 TMC against its entitled 59.191 TMC. The court gave Karnataka one week to file its formal response to the dispute. The next hearing regarding this sensitive issue is scheduled for October 12. 💧

✈️ Iran threatens neighbors over US sanctions

Iran has threatened regional airports with retaliation if they enforce new US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines. This warning was issued by Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in response to US restrictions. The US expanded sanctions to 27 Iranian airlines, alongside warnings to service providers. This escalation follows the US-Israel war on Iran which began on February 28th. Iran's threat aims to deter countries from participating in Washington's economic pressure campaign. ✈️

📱 Vivo X500 Pro Max battles Galaxy S26 Ultra

Vivo X500 Pro Max is up against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in a flagship showdown. The comparison features both phones, with Vivo priced at around $1,000 and Samsung at about $1,300. Vivo boasts an 8,000mAh battery and 144Hz display, while Samsung offers S Pen and DeX. Vivo wins on hardware value, but Samsung edges out in productivity ecosystem and software support. 🔋

🌋 Yellowstone supervolcano: Will it end everything? 🌋

A worst-case scenario Yellowstone supervolcano eruption would cause a civilization-scale disaster across North America. The massive ashfall, pyroclastic flows, and infrastructure failures would severely disrupt life in the region. Volcanic aerosols would also cool the global climate, leading to decades of food shortages and economic chaos. However, ecosystems and agriculture are expected to gradually recover, allowing humanity to persist. Scientists are closely monitoring subtle seismic activity as a cautionary thought experiment.

💡 Bank is building culture through platform collaboration

A platform is defined as a collaboration system, not just infrastructure, according to Marcy Paramonova and Stéphane Cusin. This was discussed during their talk at KubeCon & CloudNativeCon Europe. The teams implemented open support sessions and super user awards starting around that time to boost adoption. This structural approach fosters an engineering mindset by promoting shared standards and self-service. Ultimately, designing these systems allows the desired culture to naturally emerge within the organization.

⚖️ IIT-B faculty questions exam malpractice process

A section of IIT-Bombay faculty is questioning the due process followed regarding the alleged exam malpractice of Sahil Wakode. This occurred at IIT-Bombay in Mumbai, following his tragic death by suicide last week. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes visited on September 24, 2026, to probe the circumstances surrounding the incident. Concerns are being raised about procedural lapses, such as not issuing a fresh answer sheet after the alleged malpractice. Currently, a 10-member committee is investigating, and the Mumbai Police are set to question Professor Doolla.

🧐 Parking slips missing vehicle numbers at bus stand

Upa Lokayukta Justice B. Veerappa conducted a surprise inspection at the Chikkodi bus station on September 24, 2026. He reviewed food quality, staff wages, and the functioning of CCTV cameras at the Belagavi district location. Justice Veerappa directed immediate repairs for faulty surveillance equipment and stressed hygiene standards. He also strongly objected to parking receipts being issued without essential details like the vehicle number. Officials present, including NWKRTC Divisional Controller M.R. Munji, were instructed to take corrective actions. 🧐

🏎️ Baku F1 action heats up before FP2

Practice sessions at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix concluded with George Russell setting the fastest time in FP1. The race took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday. Russell clocked a time of 1m45.387s, ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli experienced an early hydraulics issue during the session. Teams are now prepping for FP2, which is scheduled to begin at 1pm BST.