Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, highlighted technology and innovation as central to India's goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. He called for India to lead in emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and space, announcing a massive AI skilling initiative for one crore youth. Modi stressed the importance of becoming a global innovation hub, bolstering energy security with nuclear power, and strengthening cybersecurity.
The Indian women's hockey team, unbeaten in the first stage, is set to face co-hosts The Netherlands and then Australia in crucial Pool E encounters at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, aiming to secure a semi-final spot.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu commenced her 2026 Badminton World Championships journey with a commanding straight-game victory over Sophia Noble in New Delhi.
Noted scientist Prof V Ramgopal Rao highlights India's significant progress in higher education and research but points out a critical gap in converting scientific discoveries into market-ready technologies. He advocates for a robust institutional framework, multidisciplinary collaboration, and stronger academia-industry ties to foster innovation and translate research into practical products.
Maoist leader Azad alias Dana Keshab Rao has been released after spending over 15 years in jail as an undertrial prisoner, following his acquittal in all 49 cases registered against him in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
SC Delhi staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring five goals to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 in the Durand Cup quarter-finals. After conceding an early goal, Joseph Sunny's brace, along with goals from Rodriguinho, Juan Sebastian Pena, and Augustine Lalrochana, secured their place in the semifinals.
Indian golfer Pranavi Urs finished tied-38th at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies event, while England's Eleanor Givens secured her maiden Ladies European Tour title after 15 seasons and 210 starts, rallying from behind on the final day.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was detained in Patna during a protest march concerning police action related to NEET paper leak protests in Bihar. Yadav, along with RJD workers, was protesting against frequent exam paper leaks, stating that the government is jeopardising students' futures.
E-Eye, which cost about Rs 3,500 to develop, can test a sample for around Rs 2, making it particularly suitable for field-level water quality monitoring in areas where access to sophisticated laboratories is limited.
A 14-year-old girl in Hisar, Haryana, was allegedly murdered by her father and grandfather due to suspicion that she had met a boy. The accused reportedly strangled her and dumped her body in a canal. Both have been arrested by the police.
Deepadhar, featuring former Asian Games gold medallists, has taken an early lead in the fifth East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, accumulating 65.22 Victory Points after four rounds. The tournament, a Bridge Federation of India Ranking Two event, involves around 300 players from 50 teams across East Zone states competing for a Rs 6 lakh prize purse, with the top 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage.
Mohammed Siraj is poised to lead India's pace attack in the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, stepping into the crucial role in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
Top seed Abhijeet Gupta has maintained his lead in the Pune International Grandmaster Round Robin chess tournament after securing his fourth win. International Master Aswath S caused a significant upset by defeating Belarus Grandmaster Fedorov Alexei, moving into second place. All five games in the fifth round produced decisive results.
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala has been diagnosed with a temporary, brief, but easily treatable neurological disorder after collapsing during two recent friendly matches, the 23-year-old Germany international announced.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu commenced her campaign at the BWF World Championships with a dominant victory over Ireland's Sophia Noble. Sindhu, a five-time World Championships medallist, is aiming for a historic sixth medal at the event. Other Indian pairs, including Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Hariharan Amsakarunan-MR Arjun, also advanced.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka and top seed Alexander Zverev were dramatically knocked out of the Cincinnati Open, with Sabalenka losing to Sara Bejlek and Zverev falling to Tommy Paul after saving a match point.
Lack of women in Karnataka's new council of ministers has put the spotlight once again on women's under-representation in politics and policy.
India's vice-captain KL Rahul expressed his delight at the team's comprehensive 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle, stating that the team 'ticked most of the boxes' they had discussed prior to the match and gained significant confidence for future spin-dominated assignments.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating Form I-485 for permanent residence, effective September 18, 2026, with no grace period for older versions. This change, aligning with public-charge inadmissibility rules, significantly impacts Green Card applicants, particularly Indian nationals facing visa backlogs, who must use the correct form version to avoid rejection.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a swell surge warning for coastal areas of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep islands for August 19-20. High period swells from the southern Indian Ocean are expected to cause surging waves and inundation in low-lying regions, prompting advisories for fishermen and coastal residents to exercise caution and suspend recreational activities.
Indian golfers Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar had a modest start at the Swiss Ladies Open, carding 1-under 70 and even par 71 respectively, while Tvesa Malik finished 1-over. Spanish players Luna Sobron Galmes and Amaia Latorre took the early lead, and England's Alice Hewson is aiming for a third consecutive win at the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 12th International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations from Kolkata's iconic Red Road on June 21, with over 210 Indian Missions organising events at nearly 2,500 locations worldwide under the theme 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'.
Indian golfers Pranavi Urs and Diksha Dagar had a modest start at the Swiss Ladies Open, carding 1-under 70 and even par 71 respectively, while Tvesa Malik finished 1-over. Spanish players Luna Sobron Galmes and Amaia Latorre took the early lead, and England's Alice Hewson is aiming for a third consecutive win at the event.
Brandon Nakashima delivered a stunning upset at the Cincinnati Open, defeating fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-1 in the third round, saving three match points in a remarkable comeback.
India's Vivaan Vishal and Turkmenistan's Shohradova Lala won the Open and Girls sections, respectively, at the Asian Junior Rapid Chess Championship in Mumbai. Vivaan secured his title with a strong finish, while Shohradova claimed victory after a tie-break against India's Pratitee Bordoloi. The event now moves to the Classical Championship.
Women's sports garnered 28.6 billion minutes of views in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, an 18% increase year-over-year, with advertising spend up 120% since 2022, according to a Nielsen report.
Premier League club Liverpool FC has finalised a deal to sell a minority equity stake to a consortium led by British-Indian businessman Amit Bhatia.
Former India fast bowler R Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the head coach of the Karnataka senior men's cricket team for the 2026-27 domestic season, bringing his extensive experience as a player and captain to the role.
Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen advanced to the second round of the BWF World Championships after overcoming Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon. The women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also stunned 16th seeds to reach the pre-quarterfinals. However, India faced a poor outing in mixed doubles, with two pairs crashing out in the opening round, though Unnati Hooda also progressed in women's singles.
'All the young players might want to play the shorter format, but India should be looking to preserve him for the Test format.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new target of creating six crore 'Lakhpati Didis' to empower women and transform the rural economy. He highlighted the success of the existing initiative and the growing contribution of women in various sectors, from defence to technology.
Ridhima Dilawari secured her fourth title on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru, with a final round of 4-under 68. She finished one shot ahead of Mannat Brar, extending her lead in the Hero Order of Merit.
An Agniveer, an Army recruit under the Agnipath scheme, was detained in Meerut for allegedly misbehaving with and assaulting police personnel while under the influence of alcohol. The incident, which occurred in the Kankarkheda police station area, led to an investigation and the accused being handed over to Military Police.
Minister of State for Telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani urged BRICS nations to collaborate on building institutional capacity and advocating for fair standards in international telecom and ICT bodies. He highlighted India's willingness to share its modular, open-source digital public infrastructure frameworks like Aadhaar and DigiLocker, emphasising their role in sustainable development and economic growth across the Global South.
World Cup-winning Spanish footballer Gerard Pique has become a strategic shareholder in the Global Chess League franchise American Gambits. Pique, known for his illustrious football career, expressed his long-standing fascination with chess and his ambition to elevate the sport's global appeal. The fourth edition of the Global Chess League, featuring top grandmasters, is scheduled for September 3-13.
East Bengal FC's women's team achieved a historic 12-0 victory over Rovers FC (Guam) in the AFC Women's Champions League preliminary stage, marking the biggest win by an Indian club in any Asian competition. This dominant performance puts them one step closer to the group stage.
Ridhima Dilawari shot a superb 5-under 67 to take a three-shot lead in the opening round of Leg 12 of the Women's Pro Golf Tour. Three players are tied for second, while several other experienced golfers are further behind.
Lakshya Sen, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, faced a surprising second-round defeat to USA's Garret Tan at the BWF World Championships. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and rising star Ayush Shetty successfully advanced to the pre-quarterfinals. Other Indian pairs also saw mixed results, with some progressing and others bowing out.
The Bombay High Court has ruled that mere annoyance and normal disagreements do not amount to mental cruelty sufficient for divorce. The court stated that cruelty must be severe enough to make cohabitation unreasonable, and cannot be determined by isolated incidents. This ruling came as the court dismissed a man's divorce petition, upholding a family court's decision and ordering him to pay maintenance to his wife.
Actor Ashwin Mushran's car was involved in an accident with a scooter in Goa's Quepem village, injuring two persons. A case has been registered against Mushran's driver, and a video of an argument at the scene has gone viral.
