Two Indian-origin players, Aryan Sharma and Jason Sangha, are part of the Australian men's development squad heading to Chennai for the MRF Pace Academy program. The squad will undergo training and play multi-day matches on spin-friendly pitches from August 1-13, aiming to provide valuable development opportunities.
India's UPI International payment system is now playing a crucial role in humanitarian efforts, enabling seamless disaster relief donations from Indian users to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, showcasing its growing global acceptance and utility beyond tourism. UPI IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Unsplash Key Points UPI International, initially for Indian tourists, is now facilitating disaster relief donations to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. The embassy of Nepal in India is actively encouraging Indian users to utilise their UPI apps for these contributions. This marks a significant shift, expanding UPI's cross-border use case beyond tourism to include inbound collection for foreign governments. The move positions UPI International alongside global payment giants like Alipay+ and UnionPay for international aid. Donors need to activate the UPI International feature on their apps to transact, with amounts converted from INR to NPR.
Fifteen Indian tourists died and one remains critically injured after a speedboat carrying 32 Indian tourists and four local crew members capsized off Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island. The bodies of the deceased have been moved to Ho Chi Minh City for repatriation, while most rescued tourists are returning to India. Vietnamese authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, effective October 15. This move ends nearly six years of fully free UPI payments, though person-to-person (P2P) transfers and small P2M payments remain free. The charges aim to bolster investment in UPI infrastructure, with specific exemptions and caps for essential sectors.
Gujarat's Aryan Nehra and Maharashtra's Saanvi Deshwal were named 'Best Swimmer' at the 79th Senior National Aquatic Championships, where Karnataka secured the overall championship. The event saw 22 new records and 17 Indian Best Performances, highlighting the promising future of Indian swimming.
Indian Olympian Sajan Prakash has qualified for the men's 200m butterfly final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finishing as the sixth fastest swimmer in the heats. He clocked 1:58.59sec, securing his place in the eight-man final.
India has expressed firm opposition to attacks on merchant shipping amidst the ongoing Iran conflict, revealing that several Indian nationals have died or are missing due to these incidents. The nation also called for restraint, de-escalation, and prioritising civilian safety in the region.
Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer and former Deoria district magistrate, has resigned from the Indian Administrative Service after 13 years. An alumna of IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, Mittal cited no specific reason but reflected on her journey from working in London to serving India, highlighting her impactful tenures in Mirzapur and Deoria.
The BJP has announced a month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' campaign, starting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, September 17, to commemorate his 25 years in public life. The initiative includes various programmes like 'Seva Diwas', 'Ashirwad Ka Diya', 'Seva Jyoti Kalash Yatra', youth yatras, and innovation challenges, all aimed at public participation and promoting the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.
'It is not economical to operate GSLV-Mk II due to its cost and complexity. Future launches to be managed with LVM3.'
Legendary Brazilian captain Cafu has urged India to shed its "tiny status" mindset in football and believe in its potential for growth, offering Brazil's cooperation. He responded to Bhaichung Bhutia's concerns about an India-Brazil friendly, emphasising the importance of grassroots development and international collaboration, drawing parallels with Japan and China's success. Cafu also shared his personal journey of overcoming doubts to become a football legend.
On the 25th anniversary of that world-changing morning in New York, it is also for the rest of to reflect. Not only on those who were killed but also on why the event happened and what led to it and what came after it, asserts Aakar Patel.
The Indian Women's Hockey team delivered a commanding 6-0 victory over Chile in the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup semi-final, securing their place in the final. Navneet Kaur and Deepika scored two goals each, contributing to India's fourth consecutive win in the tournament.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated India's 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the April-June quarter, attributing it to the collective strength of the people despite global uncertainties. He criticised "doomsayers" as the economy showed resilience, exceeding expectations even amidst international conflicts and supply chain issues.
For India, the goal is not simply to host another grand diplomatic gathering. It is to prove that a diverse coalition of emerging powers can still deliver.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced the establishment of a world-class Tamil Nadu Olympic City in Chennai, featuring advanced sports arenas, training centres, and accommodation.
An explosion at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including Indian and Pakistani nationals, and injured 66 others. The incident, attributed to a technical malfunction during start-up operations, prompted immediate response from Qatari authorities and an offer of assistance from the Indian Embassy.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa for becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title. Praggnanandhaa achieved this historic victory by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the grand finale in St Louis, USA, inspiring many across the nation.
The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has reached 1,344, with rescue teams continuing to search for approximately 5,000 missing individuals, including foreign nationals, as identification of victims proves challenging due to the condition of recovered bodies.
India's markets regulator Sebi has launched 'Demat 2.0', a pilot project for tokenisation of corporate bonds, enabling atomic settlement through integration with RBI's wholesale CBDC. This new market infrastructure uses Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to make bond issuance, trading, and settlement faster and more efficient. India is the first country to issue corporate bonds natively on a distributed ledger with central bank digital currency settlement. Additionally, RBI Governor announced new UPI innovations: 'Tap & Pay' for faster POS transactions and MyUPI, an AI-powered customer support solution.
Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir showcased remarkable talent at the Champions of the Future Euro Series Round 4 in Kristianstad, Sweden. Despite an untimely crash and penalties, the 11-year-old delivered strong qualifying and heat race performances, gaining valuable experience for the upcoming FIA European Championship.
Indian football head coach Khalid Jamil believes playing five-time world champions Brazil and two-time winners Uruguay at home will be a historic turning point for the sport in the country. These high-profile matches are crucial for preparing the team for next year's Asia Cup qualifiers and will boost player confidence and learning.
An 11-member Indian team, including medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts, has arrived in Nepal to assist with rescue operations following devastating flash floods that killed over 500 people and left nearly 2,000 missing. Nepal has requested international aid for specialised tasks and Bailey bridges to restore transport services in the affected areas.
Top Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav has undergone elbow surgery, forcing him to miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, despite being in a qualifying spot. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation and hopes to return next season.
A massive flash flood near the China-Nepal border in Tibet has left hundreds missing and caused significant casualties. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the affected Gyirong Township to oversee rescue and relief operations, with the PLA mobilising forces for search and rescue.
India is set to face South Korea in the second round of the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers in Seoul, aiming to secure a spot in the Final 8 for the first time under the current format. The team, featuring top players like Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri, seeks to end a long wait for a maiden title, building on the legacy of Indian tennis legends.
From All We Imagine As Light to Kishkindha Kaandam, these outstanding films deserved National Film Awards far more than several of this year's winners.
Two individuals, including an Indian national from Bihar, have been arrested in Nepal's Madhes province on drug trafficking charges after police seized 17.40 grams of brown sugar from them during a security check.
The National Investigation Agency's (NIA) chargesheet in the 2025 Red Fort blast case alleges that the accused followed the 'Lone Mujahid Pocket Book/How to Become an Assassin', an AQAP-linked manual detailing explosives and covert operations. The chargesheet identifies Umer Un Nabi, who died in the explosion, as the alleged mastermind and 'operational in-charge' of a revived Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) module.
The Indian men's football team, led by head coach Khalid Jamil, will play high-profile friendlies against Panama, five-time world champions Brazil, and two-time world champions Uruguay in September and October.
A seminar in New Delhi commemorated Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray's birth anniversary, focusing on his significant contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and his vision for indigenous research and self-reliance. Organised by DPSRU and VIBHA, the event highlighted Ray's pioneering efforts in "Swadeshi science" and his role in establishing India's pharmaceutical industry.
The magnificent Kailasa temple stands as a testament to ancient Indian engineering and artistic brilliance, carved meticulously from a single mountain.
Luxury hotels in Delhi are experiencing a significant room crunch and a sharp increase in tariffs ahead of the BRICS Summit. Many marquee properties show no availability or are quoting rates exceeding six figures per night around the September 12-13 event, highlighting a gap in India's hospitality infrastructure.
The National Inter-State Championships saw two new national records being set. Anushka Yadav broke the hammer throw record with a 67.02m effort, while Dev Meena set a new pole vault record by clearing 5.47m.
The water levels in the Bhotekoshi River rose again on Sunday, days after a devastating flash flood struck Nepal, authorities warned, urging residents and rescue personnel in flood-hit districts to remain alert.
Six military personnel, who died in the line of duty during Operation Sindoor last year, have been officially recognised and their names inscribed on a wall at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. This marks the first public release of their names since the operation in May 2025, which was conducted in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
All-rounders Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy are expected to recover from their respective injuries and be available for selection for India's upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, providing a significant boost to the squad.
India's first Olympic boxing medallist, Vijender Singh, expresses deep concern over the future of male pugilists, citing a lack of competitions and a selection system he claims promotes 'sycophancy'. He argues that women boxers are currently outperforming men and are brighter medal prospects for the 2028 Olympics. Singh is highly critical of the new grading system, advocating for a return to the traditional trials-based selection process.
Five Indian tennis players were excluded from the Asian Games squad because they did not meet the Sports Ministry's stringent international ranking criteria, a decision that has drawn criticism from veteran players like Rohan Bopanna but is being upheld by authorities to maintain administrative integrity.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 768-member Indian contingent, including 503 athletes and 246 officials, for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The athletics team has the largest support staff, while cricket teams also have significant backing. India will compete in 36 disciplines.
