South Korea's men's hockey team faced confusion when organisers mistakenly played North Korea's banned national anthem before their match, compounding earlier complaints regarding organistional issues at the Asian Games.
Fintech firm BharatPe has publicly supported the government's new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI merchant transactions, which introduces a 0.4% fee on transfers over Rs 2,000. The company has also distanced itself from its former co-founder Ashneer Grover's strong criticism of these changes, stating his remarks are personal and do not reflect BharatPe's official position. BharatPe believes the new framework will strengthen digital payment economics while protecting consumers and small merchants.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
Matheus Cunha scored a late deflected goal to secure a 1-1 draw for Manchester United against Fulham in the Premier League. This result spared United a third consecutive defeat, after Lisandro Martinez's own goal had given Fulham the lead.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% transaction fee on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15, sparking a political row. The Congress party has labelled it a "Modi tax" and accused the government of succumbing to US pressure, while the BJP has defended the move, clarifying that consumers will not be charged and small vendors are protected. The finance ministry reiterated that the charge is on merchants, not customers.
Indian karateka Chetan Bhatt narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Asian Games, losing to Chinese Taipei's Meng-yu Chung by Senshu in the men's Kumite 84kg playoff after the bout ended 1-1. The Senshu rule, which awards victory to the athlete scoring the first point when a match is tied, decided the outcome.
Economy passengers are paying more year-on-year while business travellers are paying less.
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik has voiced concerns over the Centre's decision to introduce Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, urging protection for small traders and common people. This move has sparked a political debate, with the BJP defending the charges as beneficial for digital infrastructure and largely not impacting consumers, while the Congress and traders' associations criticise it as an additional burden.
Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma stated that the government's new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on large-value UPI transactions will significantly increase the company's revenue and profitability. The 0.4% fee on UPI transfers exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants, effective October 15, is expected to give Paytm a competitive edge. Sharma also highlighted the company's focus on generating free cash flow, expanding internationally, and developing proprietary artificial intelligence capabilities to drive future growth.
Jay Meena has won India's first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games, securing a bronze after a hard-fought semifinal loss to Japan's Takuya Kurosaka. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian soft tennis.
Shuffle in WTC Standings After Pakistan sanctions
The Indian men's badminton team secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games after a 1-3 defeat to China in the semifinals. Despite a strong performance from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won their doubles match, singles players Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty were unable to overcome their higher-ranked Chinese opponents. This marks India's first back-to-back Asian Games team medals in 40 years.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has endorsed the introduction of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move, which levies a 0.4 per cent fee on merchant payments above the threshold, aims to bolster the long-term sustainability and growth of India's digital payments ecosystem. The RBI clarified that person-to-person (P2P) transactions and small person-to-merchant (P2M) payments below Rs 2,000 will remain free for users, ensuring no direct charge on customers.
Experts laud the decision to impose a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move, along with a dedicated fund for small merchants, is seen as crucial for creating a sustainable digital payments ecosystem, incentivising expansion in rural areas, and funding innovation while keeping most transactions free for users.
India's Davis Cup campaign ended in a 1-3 defeat against Korea, with Sumit Nagal attributing his loss to physical disadvantage against Kwon Soonwoo. Despite winning opening sets in initial singles matches, India failed to convert, leading to an insurmountable 0-2 deficit. Captain Rohit Rajpal emphasized collective responsibility and the impact of home advantage, while Nagal expressed his best effort despite the outcome.
The Indian junior women's hockey team secured their third consecutive AHF Junior Asia Cup title by defeating China 1-0.
At just 13, Yu Zidi claimed her second Asian Games gold by smashing the 200m IM Asian record, finishing only 0.40 seconds behind Summer McIntosh's world record.
India's Davis Cup team secured a crucial doubles victory against Korea, with Dhakshineswar Suresh and N Sriram Balaji winning their match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. This win keeps India's hopes alive after falling 0-2 behind in the tie. The pressure now shifts to Sumit Nagal to win his reverse singles match and complete a rare comeback.
A new report by TeamLease Digital highlights a significant AI-ready talent gap in India's technology industry, with shortages of 53-60 per cent in Generative AI and cloud skills. The report indicates that only 16 per cent of IT professionals possess AI skills, leading to rising salary premiums for AI-core roles and a projected demand for over 10 lakh GenAI roles by 2026.
The Congress party has accused the Indian government of imposing new charges on UPI transactions due to pressure from the United States, specifically to benefit American card companies. The opposition party demanded the withdrawal of the decision, calling it "anti-national" and alleging it fills the coffers of US firms while burdening Indian citizens. The government, however, clarified that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges apply only to commercial transactions above Rs 2,000 and are not levied on consumers, a stance supported by the BJP which accused Congress of spreading "fake news".
Indian karateka Chetan Bhatt narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Asian Games, losing to Chinese Taipei's Meng-yu Chung by Senshu in the men's Kumite 84kg playoff after the bout ended 1-1.
Indian judoka Pincky Balhara secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games in the -78kg event, but her mother revealed she was heartbroken, having been solely focused on winning gold, a dream she has chased for years.
Suchika Tariyal secured India's first-ever medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games, winning a bronze in the women's traditional 60kg event.
The Indian women's recurve archery team secured a historic gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating 10-time Olympic champions South Korea. The team, comprising Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma, and Kumkum Mohod, displayed exceptional nerve in challenging conditions.
India's squash campaign at the Asian Games concluded with two bronze medals in the team events. Both the men's and women's teams fell short in their respective semifinals against Malaysia and Hong Kong, respectively. Despite strong individual performances, including Tanvi Khanna's comeback, India couldn't advance to the finals, adding to their overall medal tally of two silvers and three bronzes in squash.
Indian boxer Sumit was forced to concede his men's 70kg pre-quarterfinal bout at the Asian Games due to a knee injury sustained in the third round.
Manchester United suffered a historic 3-2 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the League Cup, despite taking a two-goal lead. This loss marks the first time in nearly 50 years United have lost at home after being two goals up, adding to their recent struggles including a Premier League loss to Manchester City and a poor start to the season.
Liverpool's underwhelming start to the Premier League season continued with a drab 0-0 home draw against Fulham, leaving new coach Andoni Iraola unbeaten but with his side struggling to find form.
This was the fourth-lowest rainfall since 2001 and the 13th lowest since 1901, under the impact of El Niño.
Opening batter Abhishek Sharma blasted a record-shattering 30-ball century, powering India to a massive 221-7 and sparking a total bowling collapse that sealed a 127-run series sweep against Afghanistan.
A struggling Indian team, led by Shreyas Iyer, is desperate to secure a consolation victory against England in the fifth T20 International in Southampton to avoid a humiliating 0-4 series whitewash.
Naorem Roshibina Devi secured a silver medal in the women's 60kg wushu at the Asian Games, marking her third consecutive medal at the event.
The Indian men's hockey team secured a dominant 16-1 victory over Sri Lanka in their second Pool A match at the Asian Games, with Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, and Dilpreet Singh each scoring hat-tricks. This win follows an earlier 13-1 triumph against Indonesia, as the team prepares for tougher challenges against South Korea and Japan.
The Indian men's chess team, led by D Gukesh, Nihal Sarin, and Vidit Gujrathi, secured a 3-1 victory over Thailand in their opening match at the 46th World Chess Olympiad, despite Arjun Erigaisi's unexpected loss.
The Indian men's badminton team defeated hosts Japan in the Asian Games quarterfinals, securing a medal.
England Test captain Joe Root has lauded his side's 'excellent' response to an 'unusual summer' marked by a captaincy change, a new coach, and off-field incidents, following their dominant 3-0 series sweep against Pakistan.
The Indian men's badminton team secured a medal at the Asian Games by defeating Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, highlighted by Lakshya Sen's incredible comeback victory. While the men celebrated, the women's team exited the tournament after a 1-3 loss to Japan.
'Treating stock brokers as merchants for MDR is fundamentally misplaced.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Indian shooter Esha Singh and Kurash athlete Pincky Balhara for their impressive medal-winning performances at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan.
Indian boxer Sakshi Chaudhary lost her pre-quarterfinal bout in the women's 51kg category at the Asian Games to Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova. Separately, Sumit was forced to concede his men's 70kg pre-quarterfinal due to a knee injury, despite leading.
