FC Goa has been drawn into a challenging group for the AFC Challenge League 2026-27, Asia's third-tier men's club competition. They will face Qadsia SC of Kuwait, Fortis FC of Bangladesh, and FC Regar-TadAZ of Tajikistan in Group C, with matches hosted in Kuwait. This follows their recent exit from the AFC Champions League 2 preliminary stage.
Gujarat's Vivaan Dave and Maharashtra's Divyanshi Bhowmick have secured the Youth Boys' and Youth Girls' U-17 titles, respectively, at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships. Dave won a five-game thriller against Atharva Nawarange, while Bhowmick defeated Ananya Muralidharan 3-1.
Egyptian squash players Seif Refaay and Sohayla Hazem secured the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the HCL Squash PSA Challenger Tour. Refaay, the third seed, overcame top seed Mohamed Gohar, while third seed Hazem defeated second seed Menna Walid in their respective finals.
India's Rayhan Thomas and Indian-origin Mahanth Chirravuri delivered impressive opening rounds at the AdventHealth Championship, a key Korn Ferry Tour event. Thomas shot an 8-under 64, placing him fifth, while Chirravuri's 9-under 63 put him in fourth, both in strong contention.
International table tennis player Swastika Ghosh, a Commonwealth gold medallist, was felicitated by the University of Mumbai for her role in India's gold-winning campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. She has also been selected for the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati State Sports Award and the 2026 World Table Tennis Championships.
The inaugural Esports Nations Cup, initially planned for November this year, has been postponed to November 2027 by the Esports Foundation. This decision was made following an assessment of the wider regional situation and to ensure stability for participating national teams, publishers, partners, and fans. Despite the postponement, Saudi Arabia remains capable of hosting events, and existing development fund commitments will be maintained.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is facing potential legal action after she was seen holding the national flag upside down during a protest in Srinagar. The protest was against the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A. Officials are considering action for violating the Flag Code of India.
An Indian student sustained minor injuries in a drone attack in Ufa, Russia, and is receiving treatment. The Indian Embassy in Moscow is providing assistance. The incident occurred amidst escalating drone strikes between Russia and Ukraine, with Ufa experiencing attacks on an oil refinery.
Indian squash player Sanya Vats was defeated by Australia's Rachael Grinham in a closely contested five-game semifinal match at the Bendigo Open, a PSA Challenger event. Vats, the top seed, had previously advanced by beating England's Zoe Tanner in the quarterfinals.
Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma ended his streak of missed cuts by making the weekend rounds at the Nexo Championship in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His second round was highlighted by a spectacular hole-in-one on the sixth hole, contributing to his even-par 72 and a tied 22nd position. This performance offers Sharma a crucial opportunity to regain momentum on the DP World Tour.
Researchers at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad have secured a patent for a novel temperature-independent optical sensor designed to precisely measure structural tilt in two directions. This lightweight sensor, utilising Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology, offers enhanced monitoring capabilities for various applications including bridges, robotics, aerospace, and geotechnical systems, promising low maintenance and long-term stability checks.
An independent study reveals that while Geographical Indication (GI) registration has boosted the identity of Kerala's traditional handloom products, it has not uniformly translated into economic benefits across weaving clusters. Challenges include an ageing artisan population, competition from powerloom products, rising raw material costs, and inadequate marketing.
Indian chess players Vignesh Vermula and Saranya Devi secured gold medals in the Open and Girls blitz sections respectively at the Asian Junior Chess Championship, marking a strong start for the nation. Vermula, a 23rd seed, won on tie-breaks, while Saranya, seeded ninth, displayed tactical precision to claim her title.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure all roads have properly demarcated, encroachment-free spaces for pedestrians, emphasising that the right to walk on a footpath is a fundamental right.
The Supreme Court of India will commence hearings on two significant constitutional matters: the interpretation of legislative privileges of MLAs concerning freedom of speech and expression, and the power of state legislatures to impose additional sales tax levies. Both issues will be heard by seven-judge Constitution benches, with one case stemming from a 2003 plea by journalist N Ravi regarding breach of privilege.
Econz IT Services, in partnership with Google Cloud, has launched Bengaluru's first Gemini Enterprise Experience Centre. This centre provides an immersive environment for businesses to develop and deploy advanced Agentic AI solutions, marking a significant step in enterprise AI innovation in the region.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has completed a decade since its launch, becoming the backbone of India's digital payments ecosystem. It has seen exponential growth in transaction volume and value, expanding financial inclusion and setting a global benchmark for real-time payments.
The 65th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament commenced in New Delhi, featuring a junior girls' match where Meghalaya defeated Chandigarh 2-0. The opening ceremony included vibrant performances and an address by Air Marshal S Sivakumar, highlighting the tournament's role in promoting young talent.
The world motorsport body FIA has strongly endorsed 11-year-old Indian racer Atiqa Mir, highlighting her as a rising star redefining the future of the sport. Atiqa, the first Indian backed by the F1 Academy, has achieved significant success in European karting series, including a pole position and top-10 finishes in FIA European Championship rounds.
A delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) visited Kolkata to inspect venues and infrastructure for the upcoming international friendly against India on October 3. The inspection covered the stadium, training facilities, accommodation, and security, with West Bengal's Sports Minister assuring world-class arrangements.
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.
The Junior Women's National Hockey Championship saw Haryana, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh secure victories in Division A pool matches, while Uttar Pradesh and Manipur drew. Division B also commenced with Delhi and Uttarakhand winning their respective games.
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.
A report by policy think tank The Dialogue reveals that India's artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem is primarily constrained by a shortage of skilled talent and a lack of data standardisation, rather than market concentration. The study, which surveyed 308 stakeholders, found that talent availability and data usability are major concerns, with a significant reliance on open-source AI models.
Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath has invested Rs 200 crore in CtrlS, a hyperscale data centre company, with entrepreneur Sreeram Reddy Vanga adding Rs 50 crore. This capital infusion will fuel CtrlS's infrastructure expansion and capacity growth across India, addressing the rising demand from enterprises and hyperscale clients driven by AI, cloud, and digital advancements.
Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Yuvraj Sandhu had a challenging opening round at the Nexo Championship in Scotland, with Sharma tied 38th and Sandhu tied 62nd amidst strong winds. Sweden's Marcus Kinhult leads the tournament.
Indian golfer Diksha Dagar has dropped out of the Top 10 in the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit, now ranking 11th after missing the cut at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open. Other Indian golfers like Pranavi Urs, Avani Prashanth, and Aditi Ashok also feature in the rankings.
Digvesh Rathi recreated his viral 'notebook' celebration after dismissing Priyansh Arya in the Delhi Premier League, but the act led to a 30% pre cent match fee penalty and two demerit points for breaching the Code of Conduct. The match saw Outer Delhi Warriors defeat Purani Dilli 6 in a high-scoring encounter, with Rathi being the standout bowler for his team despite the loss.
A crucial annual general meeting (AGM) of Tata Sons, the primary holding company of the Tata conglomerate, was adjourned due to a lack of quorum, specifically the absence of representatives from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT). The SRTT is currently under restrictions from the Maharashtra Charities Commissioner, preventing it from making major decisions or holding meetings, which impacted its ability to participate.
Akane Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, has reached her fourth World Championships final and is poised to become the first women's singles player to win four titles. She attributes her smooth campaign to playing without pressure and adapting well to conditions, expressing readiness for a tough final against An Se Young.
Fintech company Cashfree Payments India Private Limited has significantly reduced its consolidated net losses to Rs 118.5 crore in FY26 from Rs 154 crore in FY25. The firm also saw a substantial revenue growth of over 51 per cent, reaching Rs 967.4 crore. Co-founder & CEO Akash Sinha highlighted achieving EBITDA profitability in March 2026 and outlined plans for full-year profitability in FY27, driven by growth in SMB and cross-border payments.
Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, and Hockey Karnataka extended their winning streaks in the Women Junior National Championship. Karnataka delivered a dominant 9-0 victory over Goans Hockey, with Pearlin Ponnamma AG scoring four goals. Other teams like Hockey Bihar, Delhi Hockey, Hockey Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Madhya Pradesh also secured significant wins across various divisions and pools.
Mumbai-based FIDE trainer and arbiter Praful Jhaveri has been appointed as the coach and team captain for the St Kitts and Nevis Chess Federation for the upcoming 46th Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. His appointment followed a recommendation from IM Abhilash Kelkar.
The ministry of external affairs on Friday dismissed as 'fake news' reports alleging that India had requested Israel to sign a defence pact in response to the newly formed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey security framework.
The Indian U20 men's football team is set to play two friendly matches against Yemen in Bengaluru as part of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. These matches follow two recent victories against Singapore and precede their travel to Tashkent for the qualifiers against Syria, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.
Indian Chain, an unfancied team, secured a dominant victory over favourites Formidables in the team event at the fifth Balarampur Chini East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, also winning a significant prize purse.
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.
Tero Entertainment Public Co. Ltd. has launched Quest India 2026, marking the official introduction of 3x3 basketball to the country. This fast-paced, urban Olympic sport, backed by BFI and FIBA, will feature its inaugural event in September 2026, blending elite competition with street culture.
A study by Amazon Ads reveals that nearly 87% of Indian small and medium businesses (SMBs) believe AI has opened up new advertising opportunities, including streaming TV. The research indicates that 75% of surveyed SMBs attribute business growth to AI-enabled advertising, with 68% noting increased creativity. AI is also facilitating international trade for 59% of businesses, though human oversight remains crucial in decision-making.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
