8th CPC: Salary estimates for Level 5-8 employees

China's Zhuque-3 rocket achieves vertical land landing in reusability milestone

Chinese private aerospace firm LandSpace has successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket via a vertical land landing. The achievement marks a significant advance in China's reusable rocket technology, aimed at lowering the cost of space launches. The recovery came after the company made modifications following a failure in a previous mission. The milestone strengthens China's position in the competitive global space market. It also supports the country's growing ambitions to build out its satellite internet infrastructure.

How AI coding agent usage limits actually work and how to manage them

AI coding tools typically enforce usage limits through one of three mechanisms: token counts, request or message counts, or abstracted credits, and each model requires a different strategy to manage effectively. Many users also overlook that most tools run multiple simultaneous clocks, including a rolling short-term window and a longer billing-cycle cap, meaning a limit may reset far sooner than expected. A key technical detail is that entire conversation histories are re-sent with every turn in token-billed tools, making later turns in a session significantly more expensive than earlier ones. Rather than waiting out a reset, developers are advised to batch work into well-specified tasks upfront, since idle waiting erodes the accumulated context and problem-solving progress built during a session. Hard usage figures are intentionally omitted from this guidance, as vendor limits vary by plan and are frequently revised, making any specific numbers quickly outdated.

Structured Task Design Makes AI Coding Agents More Reliable, Study Finds

AI coding agents are increasingly capable of handling complex development work, but output quality depends heavily on how tasks are prepared and assigned. Vague instructions leave too many decisions undefined, while well-structured tasks include a clear objective, scope boundaries, constraints, and a definition of done. Developers are advised to specify not only what should change but also what must remain unchanged, such as existing API contracts or dependencies. Before work begins, teams should decide how completion will be demonstrated — through tests, screenshots, or pull requests — to avoid subjective verification. The core principle is to treat AI-assigned work as verifiable units rather than one-off prompts, with a human still responsible for confirming product intent and catching unexpected side effects.

How to Extend Claude Code with MCP, Subagents, and Hooks for Production Use

Claude Code supports external integrations through Model Context Protocol (MCP), which allows it to connect with tools and services like GitHub, Sentry, and Notion via local or hosted MCP servers. Users can add MCP servers using the 'claude mcp add' command, with options to scope access privately, across all personal projects, or shared team-wide through a repository file. Subagents enable Claude Code to delegate tasks to isolated instances with their own context, preventing the main session from being cluttered with reusable or repetitive outputs. Slash commands allow users to package frequently used prompts into reusable shortcuts, while Hooks provide deterministic guardrails that enforce rules without relying on the AI's in-session memory. Together, these four features are designed to make Claude Code a more reliable and extensible tool for production workflows.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram Opposes Tamil Nadu's Push to Encourage Large Families

Tamil Nadu's Vijay government announced an extension of maternity leave from 12 weeks to 365 days for women giving birth to their third child, as part of a move to encourage larger families. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has publicly opposed this policy, stating he does not believe large families should be encouraged. Chidambaram's remarks come in response to the state government's decision, signaling political disagreement over the population-related welfare measure. The policy represents a significant shift in maternity benefits for women in Tamil Nadu having a third child.

Zepto Internship Ad Sparks Gender Bias Debate Over Physical Requirements

A purported internship advertisement linked to quick-commerce startup Zepto has ignited an online controversy over gender discrimination in campus hiring. The notice, which reportedly offered Rs 20,000 per month, allegedly specified male candidates only and required them to lift 20 kg and stand for 10–12 hours. The authenticity of the advertisement has not been confirmed, raising questions about whether the posting was official. The incident has reignited broader concerns about transparency and fairness in recruitment practices at Indian startups.

Strickland turns Poirier's viral 'IGBBMN' phrase into gym chant and merch

UFC middleweight Sean Strickland has embraced Dustin Poirier's viral airport acronym 'IGBBMN', turning it into a recurring joke within his training camp. His gym teammates began chanting the phrase together, making it an unofficial team motto. Strickland took it further by printing the phrase on merchandise and spray-painting it on his truck. Despite initially criticising Poirier's public comments about personal struggles, Strickland later softened his stance and showed sympathy toward the fighter. He also came to Poirier's defence regarding the latter's sponsorship difficulties.

Kerala Teen Orchestrates Grandfather's Murder Via Video Call With Four Accomplices

A teenage girl in Kerala allegedly conspired to murder her grandfather by guiding four accomplices into his home via a video call. Her 17-year-old friend and three other teenagers gained entry through a bathroom ventilator while she watched remotely. The group proceeded to suffocate the elderly man during the incident. The accused girl reportedly monitored the entire attack in real time through the video call. Police have taken the teenagers into custody in connection with the case.

Suthar's ten-wicket haul powers India to 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle

India secured a commanding 165-run victory against Sri Lanka in Galle, with spinner Suthar playing a decisive role by claiming a ten-wicket haul across the match. Sri Lanka's middle order put up a resilient resistance on a slow, low pitch, making India work hard for the result. The Indian side demonstrated considerable patience and persistence to break through the home team's defenses. The win underlines India's strength in spin-friendly conditions away from home.

How Outdated API Docs Silently Trained an AI Model to Write Broken Code

The team behind dailymeteo.com, a European meteorological archive, discovered that their fine-tuned GPT model had been trained on examples built from inaccurate API documentation. Key errors included a listed variable, sea-level pressure, that the API had never actually served, a hardcoded start year of 1960 when the archive begins in 1961, and incorrect timestamp format descriptions for climate mean data. Because training examples were written against the documentation rather than the live API, the model confidently generated well-formed but non-functional code for every affected query type. The incident highlights a systemic risk in fine-tuning workflows: documentation describes what a system is supposed to do, not necessarily what it does, and that gap can go undetected until someone tests the real endpoints.

Erin Patterson defence appeals mushroom murder conviction over hotel mix-up

Erin Patterson, convicted of killing relatives by serving them a beef Wellington containing toxic mushrooms, is now the subject of an appeal by her defence team. The appeal centres on what lawyers have described as a 'catastrophic' mix-up involving a hotel, which they argue undermined the fairness of her trial. The defence contends that this error had a significant impact on the proceedings and the resulting conviction. The case, which drew widespread attention, is now being reviewed by a higher court.

Renshaw returns to Australia Test squad for second Bangladesh match

Matt Renshaw has been recalled to Australia's Test squad for the second Test against Bangladesh. The opener has been out of Test cricket for two-and-a-half years before this recall. Australian team management expressed confidence in Renshaw's ability to perform across different playing conditions. He is expected to be in contention for a place in the playing XI for the upcoming match.

Why Excel Remains a Core Tool for Data Analysts in the Real World

Despite the growing popularity of Python, R, and cloud-based BI platforms, Microsoft Excel continues to be widely used for everyday data analysis across businesses of all sizes. Its accessibility requires no server, coding environment, or dedicated data team, making it practical for staff in finance, marketing, and operations alike. Excel serves a broad range of use cases including financial reporting, sales tracking, inventory management, and ad hoc analysis, often acting as the first stop before data moves into more advanced tools. Key features such as Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and conditional formulas like IF and SUMIFS allow analysts to clean, summarize, and apply business logic directly within a single file. Its combination of flexibility and near-universal availability keeps Excel firmly embedded in how organizations handle data on a day-to-day basis.

10-year-old Taiwanese boy wins top Silicon Valley award for AI electronic nose

A 10-year-old Taiwanese inventor, Hsu Ting-wei, won a prestigious award at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival for his AI-powered electronic nose. The device is designed to detect airborne chemical threats and potential health risks. Hsu's win was part of a broader strong performance by Taiwanese participants at the event. The Taiwanese delegation collectively took home 24 gold medals at the festival. The results highlight the growing role of emerging technologies in addressing real-world, everyday challenges.

I&B officer wanted Rs 10 lakh bribe to clear file, CBI catches him in act

Trust in B2B Software Is a Product Problem, Not a Messaging One

A software professional with a background in e-commerce argues that the B2B software industry repeats a mistake online retail solved two decades ago: treating trust as a matter of messaging rather than product design. E-commerce built trust through costly, tangible commitments such as free returns, unfiltered public reviews, granular order tracking, and transparent total pricing — none of which were mere claims. By contrast, most B2B software makes data export difficult, hides post-incident details, leaves customers without onboarding visibility, and buries fees until late in the buying process. The author contends that trust signals only carry weight when they cost the provider something real, such as the risk of easier customer exits or the reputational exposure of honest incident reports. Until B2B teams treat trust as a product feature with a genuine price tag, buyers will continue to recognise and penalise the gap.

Three Key Lessons to Help Interns Build Production-Ready Software

Engineering mentors often find that intern projects succeed in demos but fall short of production standards due to habits formed in academic settings. Unlike classrooms that reward working prototypes, real-world software requires handling edge cases, maintaining user trust, and prioritizing long-term reliability. Mentors are advised to help interns understand that customer satisfaction follows an S-curve, where the final stretch of polish and stability delivers the most value. Simplicity in design is also emphasized, as overly complex architectures common in academic work can create maintenance burdens and failure points in production environments. Incremental delivery is another key transition, encouraging interns to ship smaller, reliable updates rather than waiting for a complete, polished product.

How TLS, SSH Tunnels, and IAM Actually Secure Your Database Connection

A database connection carries two high-value targets — credentials and query results — and three distinct types of attackers can compromise them in different ways. Passive attackers intercept unencrypted traffic on shared networks, active attackers impersonate the server via man-in-the-middle attacks, and local attackers steal saved passwords from a device or synced storage. Defending against all three requires separate controls: encryption for traffic, identity verification for the server, and secure secret storage on the client side. A six-layer security model — covering traffic encryption, server verification, network exposure, short-lived tokens, on-disk secret protection, and client data handling — addresses each threat individually. Understanding the underlying cryptographic mechanisms, rather than treating settings as magic words, allows developers to make informed decisions about which protections each connection actually needs.

Suthar's 10-wicket haul and Padikkal ton seal India's 165-run win in Galle Test

India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test at Galle, powered by standout individual performances. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar claimed a ten-wicket match haul, including his second Test five-wicket innings. Suthar was particularly devastating in the second session of the final day, taking three wickets in a single over to collapse Sri Lanka's second innings. Devdutt Padikkal also played a pivotal role, scoring his maiden Test century to help India set up the commanding victory.