US-India Trade Shock: The US Trade Representative has proposed an extra 12.5% tariff on imports from India and 53 other economies under Section 301, alleging weak enforcement against forced-labour goods—while India denies the claims and is pushing for relief during ongoing trade talks in New Delhi. RBI & Gold Watch: A report says the RBI may have sold about $12 billion in gold reserves over two weeks to protect forex liquidity amid rupee pressure and West Asia risks, sparking political questions. Myanmar Security Assurance: PM Modi reiterated India’s support for Myanmar’s sovereignty and warned against any use of Myanmar territory to threaten India; Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing also met the RBI and toured JN Port. AI Economy: India’s AI push is boosting data centres and hardware engineering demand, while Microsoft Copilot deployments in India reportedly jumped 250% to 20 million seats globally. Markets & Inflation: IT stocks faced a sharp sell-off after investors reassessed AI’s impact on software demand; Bank of Baroda warns retail inflation could hit 5% by FY27. Cricket: New Zealand announced a record 12-match all-format home tour for India starting Oct 22, and England Women beat India in the 3rd T20I to win the series 2-1.