Indian kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat, known as the 'High Flyer' for his six-foot jumps, shared the origin of his nickname and his journey in the sport. He also expressed pride in being a flag bearer and India's ambition to defend its Asian Games gold medal in kabaddi.
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. Despite a fiercely contested bout that ended in a draw, she lost the semifinal to Singapore's Hui Hoon Teo due to a lesser weight rule. Tariyal expressed disappointment with the decision but was proud of her historic achievement for the country.
Indian women's boxing head coach Santiago Nieva is confident the team can secure an elusive gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games, building on their strong performance at the Commonwealth Games. Despite facing tough competition from powerhouses like China and Kazakhstan, Nieva believes the current squad is the best the country has seen and is capable of overcoming challenges, including previous struggles against Chinese opponents, by focusing on controlling bouts.
Rohit Sharma's ODI future was a major point of discussion during the review meeting, while also considering the recent fitness woes of key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
The Indian table tennis team, featuring strong contenders like the men's doubles pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar, has commenced its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya with aspirations of securing at least one medal. Both men's and women's teams are in Group F, facing Indonesia and other opponents. The team, a mix of experienced players and rising stars like Syndrela Das, is confident after acclimatising to the conditions.
A report by Scholars at Risk, 'Free to Think 2026', states that academic freedom in India is "severely restricted" due to increasing government influence over higher education, university governance, and curbs on student expression. India is listed among six countries in this category, with its Academic Freedom Index score sharply declining. The report cites instances of faculty dismissals, event cancellations, and pressure on student protests, highlighting the alleged use of the UGC as a vehicle for state influence.
Former India cricket captain Virat Kohli met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in London to discuss enhancing sports infrastructure, athlete development, and the state's progress. The dialogue focused on policy improvements, upcoming sports facilities like a Sports City near Navi Mumbai, and empowering youth through sports initiatives. Kohli also shared his passion for cricket and commitment to guiding young athletes.
Chhattisgarh is rapidly emerging as a significant sports destination in India, driven by state government initiatives to host major events and develop infrastructure. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai highlighted the state's commitment to sports, exemplified by the DP World PGTI Nava Raipur Open 2026 golf championship, inaugurated with cricket legend Kapil Dev. These efforts aim to foster talent, promote sports tourism, and transform the state's image, including positive changes in regions like Bastar.
Hriday Chheda, a gold medallist from the 2022 Asian Games, acknowledges the increased expectations for India's dressage team at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan, emphasising the importance of staying calm and delivering a strong performance.
The Indian women's cricket team declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, a decision confirmed by BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla as a 'collective' stance. This follows a precedent set by the men's team after a terror attack, with the BCCI having communicated its position to the ACC in advance.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's stunning IPL form has revived his India comeback hopes, with the veteran pacer also backed by Ravichandran Ashwin for the 2027 World Cup.
Xi's bilateral meeting with Modi was substantial and readouts from both sides gave indications of rapprochement, if not a reset of bilateral relations between India and China, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The Finance Ministry has refuted allegations that US pressure influenced the decision to levy a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI payments. The ministry clarified that the NPCI guidelines prioritise RuPay credit cards on UPI to promote domestic alternatives and ensure a self-sustaining revenue model for smaller domestic companies, countering claims of favouring foreign payment providers.
Opposition MPs have voiced strong criticism against the government's new fee on UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000 to merchants, calling it "anti-people" and expressing widespread "outrage". The issue was raised in a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting, where concerns were also flagged regarding the methodology of GDP growth calculation and the government's stance on Virtual Digital Assets.
A Thane court has acquitted a man accused of attempting to rape his stepdaughter in 2016, citing that the victim and her mother turned hostile during the trial and there was a lack of corroborating evidence. The court observed that the case likely stemmed from domestic differences that may have been resolved.
Celebrations marking India's 80th Independence Day in the New York tri-state area culminated in a world record, with more than 1,300 US flags surrounded by Indian tricolours arranged to form the number "250", in a tribute to America's semiquincentennial anniversary.
Sumit Sarkar was never intellectually dismissive of the Hindutva project. He took it with deadly seriousness for he grasped the challenge it posed to the aspirations and ideals of the anti-imperialist movement that generated multiple imaginings of freedom and ways to attain it, recalls Pradeep Kumar Dutta.
India has expressed serious concern over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, stating that such actions threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the issue with his Saudi counterpart. India also condemned the targeting of commercial shipping after an Indian national went missing following an attack on a Panama-flagged ship off Oman.
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded American tennis player Ben Shelton's thrilling five-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open quarter-finals, while also expressing sympathy for Alcaraz's tough luck after returning from injury.
Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri expressed a mix of excitement and 'a little jealousy' about the national team's unprecedented opportunity to play against football giants Brazil and Uruguay in October 2026, an experience he never had in his two-decade career.
rediffGURU Radheshyam Zanwar, founder of Zanwar Classes, clarifies doubts and guides young aspirants on eligibility for science, and engineering entrance exams.
India's in-form pacer Mukesh Kumar has signed with Nottinghamshire to play the final two matches of the 2026 English County Championship season. This marks his first domestic stint outside Bengal, offering him a chance to test his skills in new conditions after a successful Duleep Trophy campaign.
'Xi is conveying that China is a pre-eminent power, and India should modulate its actions or approaches accordingly.'
Sashidhar Jagdishan, the managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank, has announced his decision not to seek reappointment and will retire at the end of his current term on October 26, concluding a six-year tenure marked by significant regulatory and governance challenges, including RBI restrictions, a major merger, and scrutiny over alleged illegal payments.
Penguin Random House India has clarified that it is not the publisher of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love," in India. This statement follows reports suggesting the publisher backed out due to Gandhi's refusal of editorial changes. The company maintains it was willing to publish but has a prerogative to fact-check authors. The book's India distribution remains uncertain, though an e-book version is available for pre-order from another publisher.
Thousands gathered on the banks of the River Thames in London for the first-ever Ganga Aarti, a traditional Hindu ceremony of light and thanksgiving. Organised by Chinmaya Mission UK as part of the 'Totally Thames' festival, the event symbolised gratitude for nature and knowledge, while also celebrating 75 years of the Chinmaya Mission. The ceremony was conducted on land to ensure environmental responsibility.
The traditional flag hoisting ceremony for the Asian Games in Nagoya, involving India and other nations, was significantly delayed and disrupted due to unspecified "trouble" and a lack of communication between organisers.
Former chief selector Ajit Agarkar's departure from the BCCI was primarily driven by disagreements over Rohit Sharma's future in white-ball cricket and policy differences with Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman, culminating in his absence from a crucial review meeting.
The trophy is supposed to be the full stop to a tournament, not another comma in an India-Pakistan controversy, points out K R Nayar.
India's singles players Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh face challenging conditions in their Davis Cup Qualifier Round 2 tie against South Korea. The hosts have prepared a slow, low-bounce court with heavy balls to negate India's strengths. Captain Rohit Rajpal is confident in the team's ability to adapt and strategize, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and exposing younger players to high-pressure situations.
There is no answer to the question of how IN-SPACe invited EOIs for ISRO's mature rockets and whether it was based on any government policy decision.
Dave Cousins, India's new national compound archery head coach, believes a historic first Olympic medal for India is inevitable. He is preparing the team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and has long-term plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, noting the changing Asian archery landscape and the impressive work ethic of Indian archers.
Indian cricket fans and former players questioned India's decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan.
India's national security adviser was in Dhaka for roughly three-quarters of the day on Thursday to prepare the ground for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to New Delhi.
Shreyas Iyer, India's T20I captain, described his initial stint as skipper as a 'tough pill to swallow' after suffering away series defeats, but emphasised the importance of maintaining 'equilibrium' following a dominant 2-0 series win over Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board hosted 'Koh-E-Zafar' in New Delhi to celebrate the strong cricketing friendship between India and Afghanistan.
Khalin Joshi retained his one-shot lead after the third round of the inaugural Nava Raipur Open, despite a challenging day on the course. Heavy rain forced the tournament to be played over the back nine, with Angad Cheema emerging as his closest competitor.
Prasar Bharati Chairman Prasoon Joshi voiced concerns over AI's impact on India's cultural heritage, including music and endangered languages, advocating for human-AI collaboration. Meanwhile, a Spotify report revealed significant growth in royalties for Indian artists, with linguistic diversity driving economic strength in the creative industries, highlighting the platform's role in enabling talent across various Indian languages.
Abdul Ghafoori has been arrested in Toronto for the alleged first-degree murder of his partner, Indian national Himanshi Khurana. Ghafoori was apprehended at a Toronto airport after being on the run for over seven months. Khurana was found dead in December last year, and police had identified Ghafoori as a suspect in her homicide.
'He didn't touch upon the core questions raised by the nine employee associations.'
