i. The Supreme Court  stayed the commercial release of the genetically modified (GM) variety of mustard till October 17 following a petition as this could have severe consequences on the environment and human health
ii. The filed petition had sought a moratorium on open-field trials and commercial release of all herbicide-tolerant crops such as the Dhara Mustard Hybrid DMH 11 seed, earlier certified as safe for human consumption and the environment by a technical committee under the environment ministry and the court will now hear the case on October 17.

Hurricane Matthew hit Florida
i. Floridians along the Atlantic coast were coping with rising water as Hurricane Matthew drenched the state with rain and as strong winds pushed waves over beaches.
ii. South Carolina was bracing for the storm’s potential landfall and even residents in North Carolina faced a considerable threat. The National Hurricane Center announced  that the storm’s center had been “hugging the coast” in Florida as it continued toward Georgia and South Carolina and warned of a surge of up to nine feet that could cause dangerous flooding.