Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has criticised the newly introduced fees on UPI payments, stating they will lead to increased inflation for the common man. He dismissed government claims that customers would not be burdened, arguing that merchants would pass on the costs. Hooda demanded the immediate withdrawal of these fees, highlighting that the government's move contradicts its 'Digital India' initiative.
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.
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 Congress party has strongly refuted claims by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Chairperson Bhartruhari Mahtab that opposition MPs supported levying a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions. Congress MP Manish Tewari termed Mahtab's remarks "erroneous and fallacious," clarifying that the committee's recommendation was to "explore" revenue models, not to implement MDR. The party accused Mahtab of misleading due to his recent switch to the BJP.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed support for the Centre's decision to levy charges on UPI transactions, citing the cost of maintaining the digital payment infrastructure. However, he emphasised the need to protect retail consumers from these fees. Abdullah also discussed the upcoming seven-day Assembly session, highlighting the government's commitment to smooth functioning and addressing MLAs' concerns, and touched upon efforts to tackle drainage issues affecting water bodies.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4 per cent charge on UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000 made to merchants, with a cap of Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above. This policy shift ends the zero-MDR regime, which was previously criticised by financial institutions. While essential sectors and capital markets have specific fee structures, small merchants with monthly UPI QR code earnings up to Rs 1 lakh remain exempt. Person-to-person transfers are unaffected, and measures are in place to prevent merchants from passing these costs to customers.
Government job aspirants in Patna staged a protest march demanding the cancellation of several recruitment exams, including for sub-inspector posts, citing alleged irregularities. The demonstration led to clashes with police, detentions, and disruption of public order and essential services. Protesters also called for an end to the contract system in BPSC exams and the publication of a job calendar.
Hansi Flick has become the first Barcelona manager to win the club's opening seven competitive matches of a season after a dominant 7-2 victory over Racing Santander.
'Fourteen years ago, I made my debut as an actor. And now, 14 years later, I am introducing four new actors and a debutante director. I am way more nervous than they are right now. I have butterflies in my stomach.'
'She's kind, loving...but on the sets, she's a taskmaster.'
Frances Tiafoe reached the US Open semi-finals for the third time after a thrilling comeback against Alex Michelsen, but it was his gesture after the match that caught everyone's attention.
Manchester United and Tottenham face crucial Premier League tests this weekend, while Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea seek momentum.
Top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend defeated American wildcards Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery to win the U.S. Open women's doubles final, completing their team career Grand Slam. This victory marks Siniakova's 12th Grand Slam doubles title and makes her the first player to achieve a career Grand Slam with two different partners.
Matt Renshaw scored a maiden one-day international century and Nathan Ellis took five wickets to guide Australia to a 59-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first match of their three-game series in Harare. Australia posted 294-8 batting first, with Renshaw making 109. Zimbabwe, despite fighting half-centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, were bowled out for 235.
Law And Order not only delivers an outdated and amateurish gangster drama, but also manages to drag Mammootty's iconic Black character into the mess.
Italian club Como, managed by former midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas, secured a dream 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in their Champions League debut, marking a historic milestone for the club and its fans.
The Enforcement Directorate has seized Rs 3.45 crore in cash during searches against Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, his family, and associates in a FEMA investigation. The probe concerns alleged undisclosed overseas investments, cross-border business links, and collection of bribes from PWD contractors, with the minister denying wrongdoing and alleging political targeting.
'...in which our names are written with our phone numbers.'
The Tata Sons board has voted to reappoint N Chandrasekaran as chairman for a third five-year term, a decision influenced by the Reserve Bank of India's rejection of the company's application to surrender its NBFC registration, which revives the prospect of a stock market listing.
'Xi is conveying that China is a pre-eminent power, and India should modulate its actions or approaches accordingly.'
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested 19-year-old Maqsood Ali from Tamil Nadu for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to carry out "violent jihadist activities." Ali was reportedly part of WhatsApp groups sharing bomb-making videos and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) material, and was in contact with Pakistani hackers, developing a secure communication network for the group. This is the second arrest in the case, following Mohammad Nabeel's apprehension.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has significantly increased its subsidy corpus for affiliated clubs to Rs 500 crore over the next decade, aiming to bolster grassroots cricket infrastructure. Additionally, the MCA decided to name lounges at the iconic Wankhede Stadium after cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane, and late Madhav Mantri.
A 31-year-old man, Yuvraj Singh Manchanda, was found murdered in a Gurugram drain, allegedly over a financial dispute. His family claims Gurugram police recovered and cremated his body without informing them, despite him being reported missing in Delhi. Two former colleagues have been arrested in connection with the murder.
The state-run Pakistan Sports Board is only funding a fraction of the country's 248-member Asian Games contingent, with many athletes and officials relying on federations, the POA, or self-financing. The Pakistan Olympic Association secretary, Khalid Mahmood, confirmed that self-funded medal winners would be compensated and highlighted Pakistan's medal hopes across various disciplines.
Dhakshineswar Suresh lost to South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon in a hard-fought three-set match, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 2 tie. Despite a strong start, Suresh couldn't maintain his momentum against Kwon's improved play. Sumit Nagal now faces Hyeon Chung in the second singles rubber, with India needing a win to level the tie.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its founder Abhijeet Dipke have announced their support for students protesting alleged paper leaks and irregularities in Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) online examinations. The CJP plans to join the agitation and undertake a statewide tour if demands for the MPSC chairman and secretary's resignations are not met by September 24.
The CBI has registered an FIR in the Disha Salian death case, following a Bombay High Court order that criticised Mumbai Police for its six-year delay and "glaring discrepancies" in the investigation. Salian, former manager of Sushant Singh Rajput, died in June 2020, a week before Rajput's own death, which led to speculation about a connection. The High Court had expressed concerns over the Mumbai Police's handling of the case, which was initially treated as an accidental death.
Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan has shared his preferred batting lineup for India's first T20I against Afghanistan, advocating for Shreyas Iyer to retain his number four spot and Sanju Samson to open the innings. Razdan emphasized performance over the left-right batting combination, highlighting Samson's recent T20 form. The series opener will also see a selection dilemma with multiple openers available and marks Iyer's first home series as captain.
'Nitishji as CM never supported the UCC and publicly expressed his strong reservations over UCC.'
Leeds United climbed to third in the Premier League with a 4-1 victory over Newcastle, while Inter Milan staged a comeback to beat Udinese 5-3, maintaining their perfect Serie A start alongside AS Roma, who won 2-0 at Torino. In LaLiga, Betis continued their strong run with a win over Villarreal.
US President Donald Trump is expected to sign the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 later on Friday (local time). A White House official confirmed the development to ANI without revealing further details.
The Supreme Court has indicated that its judges may personally visit the National Testing Agency (NTA) to examine its upgraded facilities aimed at preventing recurring NEET paper leaks. This unusual move underscores the court's emphasis on institutional strengthening and permanent solutions. The NTA informed the bench that it has overhauled its system, while a high-powered panel is also working on structural reforms to ensure foolproof examination processes.
India has once again raised alarms over the escalation in the security situation in the Red Sea area and strongly condemned Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabian territory, "including on civilians and economic assets."
India's men's and women's chess teams are set to defend their respective Chess Olympiad titles, with strong lineups featuring world champion D Gukesh and in-form R Praggnanandhaa for the men, and Koneru Humpy leading the top-seeded women's squad.
'And now since Lakshmi Mittal owns Rajasthan Royals, he will never let Vaibhav Sooryavanshi go anywhere. And if it ever happens, not just me... the entire IPL world of owners are waiting.'
The Indian government has confirmed there will be no rollback of the 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective from October 15. Despite opposition, officials state the decision aims to make the UPI ecosystem self-sustainable and secure, with charges applying only to merchant payments, not person-to-person transactions.
Hanuman Ansh has made a spectacular entry into the Rs 200 Crore Club, with Mirzapur also set to achieve the same milestone.
Kerala Minister T Siddique stated that the Kalladi tunnel project site incident was a "man-made landslide" due to unscientific dumping of excavated earth, not a natural one. Six injured individuals are in stable condition, and an inquiry will be conducted into why previous directions were not followed. Rescue operations are underway with NDRF and Fire and Rescue Services teams.
Americans Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek secured double sprint gold at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, each winning the 100m and 200m titles and a $300,000 jackpot. Jefferson-Wooden's 200m time of 21.47 seconds made her the third fastest woman in history, while Bednarek, known as "Kung Fu Kenny," dominated the men's 200m. The event, designed for television, drew sellout crowds and featured other star athletes like Gianmarco Tamberi and Mondo Duplantis, with World Athletics president Sebastian Coe noting its potential for future Olympic and World Championship elements.
Lust Stories 3 continues its tradition of offering attractively-wrapped pieces of provocation in a box. Only this time, it doesn't dwell too deep into the emotions of sex and enjoys it for what it is, discovers Sukanya Verma.
