Former Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has criticised the differential treatment of foreign and local coaches in Pakistan cricket, stating that foreign coaches enjoy more authority and less scrutiny. He also highlighted the need for consistency, patience, and long-term planning, drawing comparisons with India's successful cricket development model.
The US Department of Homeland Security faced widespread criticism for an AI-generated advertisement featuring a brown-bearded man identified as "Mr Singh" in a campaign against unlicensed commercial drivers. Advocacy groups, including the Hindu American Foundation and Sikh Coalition, condemned the ad as "racist" and "anti-American" for its perceived targeting and profiling of Sikh and Hindu communities.
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office has issued notices to over 33 lakh voters, including former deputy prime minister LK Advani, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, over discrepancies in their electoral roll details. These notices are part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, primarily due to details not matching with the 2002 SIR. Despite concerns raised by some politicians, officials assure that no names will be deleted without due verification and an opportunity for voters to respond.
The Sports Ministry has invested over Rs 702 crore in the last three years to prepare Indian athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, featuring 310 debutants.
India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, has clarified that the recent amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) are primarily aimed at enhancing transparency and ensuring accountability in foreign financial flows.
India launched 'Suryapath Tiranga', a unique initiative involving over 50 Indian missions globally, to digitally relay images of the tricolour across multiple time zones, starting from Fiji, to mark the country's 80th Independence Day.
Nikita Porwal brought a vibrant slice of Indian mythology to the national costume round, stepping out as a contemporary interpretation of Goddess Meenakshi, the 'Goddess in Colour'.
A high-level committee, including representatives from banks and payment associations, is set to decide on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants. While person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free, the move follows a recent amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, sparking debate and clarification from the Finance Minister that only certain high-value merchant transactions might incur charges.
Israeli police have arrested a 31-year-old national in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old Indian man found dead in Jerusalem, prompting a full-scale criminal investigation.
A national high-performance shooting camp has commenced in New Delhi, bringing together 35 Indian athletes for intensive training. The camp is crucial preparation for the upcoming ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China, and the Asian Games in Japan, featuring top talent and international coaching expertise.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF) has appointed Gauravjit Singh as managing partner to lead its global capital formation efforts. Simultaneously, PB Fintech's payment aggregator platform, PB Pay, has gone live, offering consolidated payment acceptance for merchants. In a move to enhance trade efficiency, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has introduced open API integration for Certificate of Origin, allowing exporters to streamline their application processes.
Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, highlighted Artificial Intelligence's transformative potential in healthcare, emphasising its role in augmenting doctors' capabilities and enhancing efficiency. Speaking at PGIMER's Foundation Day, he stressed the need for India to develop AI solutions tailored to its unique healthcare realities, moving beyond being a mere consumer of Western-trained systems. PGIMER Director Vivek Lal also detailed the institute's expansion and commitment to affordable healthcare.
Indian wrestling coach Virender Dahiya and wrestler Antim Panghal have expressed strong confidence in the national team's preparation and potential for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Dahiya believes the team will significantly improve on its previous medal tally, while Panghal highlights the strong team cohesion and gold medal aspirations. The squad features a mix of experienced and young talent, aiming to overcome strong regional competitors.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that Pakistan will participate in the Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in India, scheduled from October 27 to November 5. This participation aligns with the Indian government's policy allowing multi-lateral sporting engagements with Pakistan, despite a ban on bilateral series. The tournament will be held in Jalandhar and Mohali, featuring six nations including India and Pakistan, with a highly anticipated India-Pakistan match on November 1.
India needs to move beyond ease and cost of doing business and focus on the "speed of doing business" as the next leg of reforms to sustain economic growth and private investment, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President R Mukundan said.
A Pakistani national and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, Yasir, involved in multiple terror incidents including the 2024 Poonch IAF convoy ambush, has been neutralised by the Indian Army in Yusmarg, central Kashmir. An extensive search operation is underway in the high-altitude Pir Panjal range for a second terrorist, Musa, amidst challenging weather conditions.
The Calcutta high court has held that voter identity cards, Aadhaar and PAN cards are not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship.
Virat Kohli impressed Eknath Shinde with his humility during their London meeting, while the duo discussed Maharashtra's development, sports, youth talent and the cricketer's upcoming ODI milestones.
AI4Bharat at IIT Madras and Josh Talks AI have launched 'Voice of India', a multimodal AI evaluation platform designed to assess AI systems against Indian conditions, languages, accents, and dialects. This platform aims to provide scientifically rigorous, India-specific evaluations, covering areas like Voice AI, large language models, document processing, safety, cultural appropriateness, and Indian legal reasoning, to build trust and enable informed deployment decisions.
The Indian cricket team is preparing for its upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan, with Jasprit Bumrah set to rejoin training after recovering from injury. The team's net session saw Washington Sundar working hard, while concerns over player injuries have led to the BCCI considering the removal of senior physio Kamlesh Jain. Pace bowling coach Morne Morkel was also absent due to visa issues.
The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team has successfully qualified for the final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The quartet of Vishal TK, Anisa Babu, Rajesh Ramesh, and Rashdeep Kaur finished fourth in their heat, securing one of the fastest loser spots to advance to Saturday's final.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has identified a significant opportunity for India as the company transitions its enterprise systems to an AI-first model. He emphasised India's crucial role, leveraging its extensive pool of technology professionals and partners, in this global technological transformation, which he likened to a "Y2K moment" for engineering.
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.
Go once. You will know, even before you board the flight home, that you will return.
Veteran Indian cricketers KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, and Devdutt Padikkal have been asked to play in the Duleep Trophy final for South Zone against East Zone. The participation of other T20I players like Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Ishan Kishan depends on Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir's approval. Additionally, chief selector Ajit Agarkar will attend the final, and the BCCI is arranging visas for net bowlers for the Asian Games.
Indian women wrestlers secured two silver and two bronze medals at the U17 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, with Sandhya Vishnoi and Akshara winning silver, and Avanshika and Taniya earning bronze.
Indian Olympian Sajan Prakash has qualified for the men's 200m butterfly final at the Commonwealth Games, finishing second in his heat. His performance was just shy of his personal best.
On National Sports Day, political leaders including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and several Chief Ministers paid tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand and lauded Indian sportspersons for their contributions to the country.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed AI Manthan 2.0, advocating for the comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across all university subjects rather than as a standalone course. She urged universities to develop clear, time-bound AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, and agriculture, emphasising indigenous AI development, employment creation, and the importance of "Safe and Trusted AI." The event also saw the formation of an AI Policy Advisory Group and an AI Implementation Group to drive these initiatives.
Japan's national cricket team, led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, will play a historic one-off T20 International against India on September 22 in Sano.
The BCCI has opened applications for the Head of Sports Science and Medicine position at its Centre of Excellence, a role that has remained vacant since March 2025 despite previous attempts to fill it. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership for sports science and medicine services, focusing on player welfare, injury prevention, and rehabilitation for elite Indian cricketers.
Security forces in central Kashmir's Budgam district killed one terrorist, believed to be a Pakistani national, in a high-altitude encounter. The operation, involving the Indian Army, J&K Police, and CRPF, is ongoing as forces search for a second suspect.
The UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has ruled out a cyberattack as the cause of the recent massive disruption across UK airports, which led to thousands of flight cancellations and affected tens of thousands of passengers, including those on flights to and from India. An investigation is underway, and the incident marks the third major air traffic collapse under the current CEO's tenure.
The Indian Embassy in Bamako has issued an advisory urging Indian nationals in Mali to remain vigilant and exercise caution due to recent security developments and reported attacks.
The Sports Ministry has initiated a fresh application process for a national Yogasana federation, setting a September 17 deadline. This follows a Delhi High Court ruling that quashed the recognition of Yogasana Bharat and mandated a new affiliation procedure. Eligible bodies must submit detailed applications, adhering to the National Sports Governance Act, which includes specific requirements for executive committee composition.
The Finance Ministry has dismissed allegations of US pressure influencing the 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI transactions. It clarified that NPCI guidelines prioritise RuPay credit cards on UPI and do not favour international cards. The ministry also asserted that the MDR, applicable to person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, is unlikely to increase cash transactions or cause inflation, with measures in place to prevent burdening consumers.
Indian cricketers Manav Suthar, Auqib Nabi, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mayank Agarwal showcased strong performances in the English County Championship, with Suthar's seven-wicket haul leading Warwickshire to an innings victory.
The Bombay High Court has identified a worrying trend of foreign nationals infiltrating India, fraudulently acquiring documents like Aadhaar and PAN cards to claim Indian citizenship. The court highlighted serious gaps in inter-agency coordination and document verification, noting that some individuals have engaged in anti-national activities. It urged the Centre to amend the Aadhaar Act to facilitate tracing and deportation, and to establish procedures for dealing with human trafficking and border infiltration. The ruling came during a case involving an Afghan national who overstayed his visa and obtained fake documents to secure an Indian passport.
This article details the quarter-century journey of BRICS, from its inception as an economic acronym by a Goldman Sachs economist to its current status as an expanded eleven-member international bloc. It highlights its growth, key historical moments, and the significance of its upcoming summit, particularly with Iran's renewed importance in discussions.
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has urged the government to reconsider imposing a merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, arguing that the costs do not warrant such a move. This comes after the government announced a 0.4 per cent fee on merchant transfers over Rs 2,000 from October 15, while assuring that person-to-person and small payments remain free. SJM co-convener Ashwani Mahajan highlighted that banks have not demanded MDR and that UPI has reduced their transaction costs.
