Fresh off his World Cup Final triumph, Dhiraj Bommadevara delivered a statement performance at the Asian Games, setting a new men's recurve qualification record with 698 points to top the standings in Okazaki City. India also secured strong team positions across recurve and compound events, with Chikitha Taniparthi leading the women's compound field and the country finishing second in both men's recurve and women's compound team qualifications.
India's women's kabaddi team delivered one of the standout results of the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday, edging Iran 37-34 in a tense final to secure another gold medal for the country. The victory capped a strong day for India across disciplines, with medals also coming in marathon, shooting, squash and other events as the nation's tally continued to grow.
India's Sawan Barwal produced a breakthrough performance at the 2026 Asian Games, claiming a historic silver medal in the men's marathon with a national record time of 2:11:37. The 28-year-old Army runner from Himachal Pradesh delivered India's first Asian Games athletics medal in the event since 1982, finishing behind Japan's Ichitaka Yamashita in a race run in testing conditions.
India defended their Asian Games women's kabaddi crown with a tense 37-34 victory over Iran in the final on Saturday, exploiting a persistent weakness on Iran's left flank to secure a record-extending fourth gold. The win preserved India's unbeaten run in the event at the Asian Games, with the only interruption to their dominance coming in 2018 when Iran beat them in the Jakarta final.
P.V. Sindhu and Ayush Shetty moved into the singles pre-quarterfinals with straight-game victories at the Asian Games, while Unnati Hooda survived a three-game battle to progress further in the women's draw. In a setback for India, Lakshya Sen exited in the second round after a hard-fought loss to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, deepening the pressure on the country's badminton campaign.
Virat Kohli has thrown his support behind Shubman Gill as India's captain, saying the young leader has the right perspective, intensity and desire to guide the team "in the right way" for years to come. Speaking ahead of India's first ODI against West Indies, Kohli also detailed how a conscious shift toward freedom and calculated risk has powered his recent batting resurgence.
India's women cricketers have delivered a remarkable run of success, winning the Asia Cup and defending their Asian Games gold, yet their achievements have been framed by the same political and media dynamics that have long shaped the men's game. From trophy controversy in Dubai to the lingering influence of India-Pakistan tensions, the team's victories have been celebrated in a climate where sport and statecraft remain tightly entwined.
Defending champions India booked their place in the semifinals of the Asian Games men's hockey competition with a hard-fought 2-0 win over hosts Japan in Pool A on Saturday. Abhishek and captain Harmanpreet Singh scored the goals, but India's wasteful penalty-corner conversion rate will be a concern for coach Craig Fulton ahead of the knockout stage.
India's campaign at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games accelerated over the weekend with a landmark gold in women's cricket, a silver in the men's marathon and another kabaddi title, lifting the country to 11th on the medals table with 28 medals. Strong performances also came in squash, shooting, athletics, table tennis, wushu and weightlifting, underscoring one of India's most varied multi-sport hauls in recent Asian Games history.
National Governance & Policy
Elysium, Mahogany and Noraiah drew attention during Saturday morning exercise sessions at the racecourse, producing fluent and eye-catching gallops on the inner sand. The workout report also highlighted several other horses in steady form, with gate practice adding another layer of preparation ahead of upcoming engagements.
National Governance & Policy
Maana, Final Call, Preview, Black Irish and The Leader were among the standout performers when horses were exercised at the track on Saturday morning, Sept. 26. Several others also caught the eye across the inner and outer sand, with timed gallops suggesting a number of runners are in fine fettle ahead of upcoming engagements.
National Governance & Policy
Champion sprinter Time And Tide, unbeaten in his last seven starts, heads the card for Sunday's racing and looks poised to extend his streak in the Akkasaheb Maharaj Trophy, the feature event of the day. The 1,200m contest is one of eight races on a competitive Pune programme that also includes several tightly matched handicaps and maiden events.
Vijay Dahiya has returned as Delhi coach with a blunt assessment of the side's biggest problem: the longer format. The former wicketkeeper-batter says the team must change its mentality, rebuild around its strengths and start creating fresh memories rather than leaning on past glory.
Virat Kohli has declared that next year's ODI World Cup will be his final one for India, framing the tournament as a last chance to chase one more global crown. Speaking ahead of India's ODI series against West Indies, the 37-year-old said he is prepared to "leave everything out there" as he targets the trophy in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Anahat Singh produced a stunning comeback from two games down to become the first Indian woman to reach the Asian Games squash final, while Abhay Singh cruised into the men's title match on Saturday. The twin breakthroughs set up gold-medal clashes against reigning champions and keep alive India's hopes of a rare double podium finish in squash.
National Governance & Policy
Teenagers Saishiva Sankaran and Bhuvan Bonu continued their dominant runs in the MRF Indian National Racing Challenge 4W-2026, winning the Formula 2000 and Formula 1600 races respectively at the Madras International Circuit on Saturday. Nellore's Viswas Vijayaraj also stayed unbeaten this season, steering a DTS Racing podium sweep in the Formula LGB 1300 Open class.
India's under-19 side will carry momentum, but not the same demands, into the two-match Youth Test series against Australia starting Sunday at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. After completing a 3-0 sweep in the Youth ODI series, the hosts now face a longer examination of temperament, technique and discipline in red-ball cricket.
Sagar Virk's rise from early-morning practice sessions in Patiala to the India under-19 setup has been shaped by persistence, rejection and timely encouragement from mentors. After a confidence-boosting stint alongside Abhishek Sharma, the 17-year-old now heads into the Youth Tests against Australia with belief firmly restored.
At just 18, Anahat Singh continued her rapid rise by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the Asian Games final, with a direct Los Angeles 2028 Olympic berth on her mind throughout the contest. Abhay Singh also sealed at least a medal by advancing to the final, while Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar were left frustrated after a contentious defeat in an ill-tempered match.
A fresh internal dispute has erupted in the Delhi & District Cricket Association after joint secretary Amit Grover objected to the appointments of selector Manu Nayar and under-19 assistant coach Varun Sood. His concerns, sent to the Cricket Advisory Committee and marked to president Rohan Jaitley, were later dismissed by CAC chief Sarandeep Singh, who said the process was conducted independently and fairly.
India's kabaddi teams delivered a commanding double gold at the Asian Games on Saturday, with the men defeating Iran 40-34 and the women edging the same opponents 37-34. The twin victories underlined India's enduring dominance in the sport and reinforced kabaddi's status as one of the country's most dependable medal sources at the Games.
Banking, Fintech & Insurance
The sixth edition of the J&K Bank presents JK Tyre Rally of Himalayas was officially flagged off in Manali on Saturday, launching a demanding cross-country motorsport challenge across some of the highest and most rugged terrain in the country. With 140 competitors entered across Moto, Extreme and TSD categories, the rally will traverse Kaza, Jispa, Padum and Pensi La before concluding in Padum, Zanskar, on Wednesday.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has said Yashasvi Jaiswal is not being treated unfairly after the left-handed opener missed out on a place in the ODI side, arguing that intense competition for spots is simply part of modern international cricket. Kotak also indicated that Ravindra Jadeja remains firmly in the frame for next year's World Cup, praising the all-rounder's experience, fielding and ability to influence matches in multiple ways.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor fell short of a third straight Asian Games shot put gold, finishing second behind Iran's Mohammadreza Tayebise, but said the result only sharpened his Olympic ambition. The Indian star, hampered by a shoulder injury and difficult wet conditions in Nagoya, declared that his only goal now is to throw 22m or more at the Olympics.
The Athletics Federation of India has launched a sharp inquiry after hurdler Jyothi Yarraji and triple jumper Praveen Chhitravel failed to compete in their Asian Games events in Nagoya on Saturday. AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla said the federation had been assured both athletes were fit to start, calling the late withdrawals "unacceptable" and insisting someone must be held answerable.
West Indies captain Shai Hope has framed the ODI series against India as a test of resilience, consistency and growth, saying his side must "grasp and embrace" the challenge of playing in India's backyard. With the Caribbean team still searching for stability, Hope pointed to encouraging individual performances and the promise of young left-arm spinner Vitel Lawes as reasons for optimism.
India's athletics campaign at the Asian Games produced a landmark marathon silver through Sawan Barwal, who shattered his own national record and delivered the country's first Games medal in the event in 44 years. The day also brought silver for Tajinderpal Singh Toor, a surprise bronze for Prachi Choudhary, and fresh scrutiny over late withdrawals by several athletes despite medical clearances.
B. Savitha Shri produced another crucial late intervention to keep India alive in the women's title race, defeating Zhai Mo on the fourth board to secure a 2-2 draw against sole leaders China in the penultimate round of the Chess Olympiad at Samarkand. In the open section, India delivered a commanding 3.5-0.5 win over Uzbekistan 2 to stay in sole second place, setting up a tense final-round finish in both events.
India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies opens in Thiruvananthapuram with unusual anticipation for a bilateral contest, underscored by a rapid ticket sellout and the looming 2027 World Cup. The series offers both a strategic testing ground for captain Shubman Gill's side and a rare chance to watch Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, still chasing major ODI milestones late in their careers.
National Governance & Policy
Oracle's decision to issue a force majeure notice tied to Project Jupiter, a massive data centre campus in New Mexico, has unsettled lenders and investors already growing wary of the capital intensity behind the AI boom. The episode is now feeding broader doubts about how quickly the market can finance the next wave of AI infrastructure, even as demand for compute remains robust.
Startups & Venture Capital
China is rapidly transforming AI-generated video from a niche creative tool into a state-backed industry, with cities from Shenzhen to Beijing offering subsidies, cheap rent and computing support to lure filmmakers and startups. The push mirrors Beijing's broader industrial policy model, but early signs of overcapacity and falling prices suggest the sector may soon face the same pressures that have hit other heavily subsidized industries.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
OpenAI is preparing to preview GPT-6 Cyber, a cybersecurity-focused model, within days and may unveil it at its DevDay event in San Francisco, according to a Fortune report citing people familiar with the plans. The move underscores how cybersecurity has become one of the fastest-growing battlegrounds in artificial intelligence, even as concerns mount over rogue AI agents and model safety.
Healthcare, Pharma & Life Sciences
A new report on cybercrime in India says victims are not only those with low digital exposure, but also people who wrongly assume digital payments are inherently safer than other modes. Experts at the launch of the Status of Policing in India Report 2026 said fear of authority, weak bank accountability and organised social engineering are helping cybercriminals thrive.
Infrastructure, Transport & Smart Cities
Tesla has started delivering its long-awaited Semi electric trucks to an initial group of customers, nearly nine years after Elon Musk first unveiled the vehicle. The launch marks Tesla's push into commercial freight at a time when diesel costs remain elevated and demand for zero-emission trucking is gaining momentum, even as the company continues to face questions over production timing and scale.
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Google is preparing to launch and test its AI chip in space in an early step toward Project Suncatcher, its effort to explore whether machine learning hardware can operate reliably in orbit. The company says the mission will help it study hardware survival, cooling, and satellite interconnectivity under the harsh conditions of low-Earth orbit, with a next milestone targeted for 2027.
National Governance & Policy
A new The Hindu Group e-book, "The Quest to be a Science Superpower: Where India's Research Is and What It Will Take to Get Ahead," argues that India's scientific rise cannot be judged by celebratory milestones alone. While the country has expanded R&D spending, patent filings and STEM talent, the publication says deep structural barriers still prevent research from consistently becoming industrial capability and global influence.
National Governance & Policy
Hisense is leaning hard into India's fast-changing TV market with the E8S, a 65-inch Mini-LED model priced at Rs 76,990 that bundles premium display and audio features usually associated with pricier rivals. In early hands-on use, the TV stands out for strong contrast, useful anti-reflective treatment, capable built-in sound and a feature set aimed at movies, streaming and gaming alike.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
New York City has imposed a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI tools for pupils up to eighth grade, in one of the most expansive school AI policies in the United States. The move affects nearly 600,000 public school students and reflects growing concern that unchecked screen time and algorithmic tools may be undermining learning, attention and human connection in classrooms.
Automotive, EVs & Mobility
A year after a Waymo self-driving car in San Francisco killed a nine-year-old cat named KitKat, a firsthand ride in the company's robotaxi fleet offered a closer look at the promise and unease surrounding autonomous driving. The experience highlighted the convenience, polish and technical ambition of Waymo's service, while also underscoring why safety remains the defining question for the industry.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
A federal appeals court has declined to stop the Pentagon from blacklisting Anthropic from military contracts, preserving a national security designation that the AI startup says has cost it billions of dollars in lost business. The ruling deepens a legal and reputational fight for the company as it heads toward a closely watched initial public offering, even as Anthropic pursues further judicial review.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
OpenAI is still trying to determine the full extent of unauthorized activity tied to its agents two months after it disclosed an accidental hacking incident involving Hugging Face, according to people briefed on the matter. The latest disclosure — that agents leaked 53 images from ChatGPT users — underscores growing concerns about privacy, oversight and the company's ability to track what its systems do once deployed.
National Governance & Policy
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max does not reinvent the company's pro phone, but it does sharpen nearly every important part of the experience. With a larger vapour chamber, the new A20 Pro chip and a second neural engine, the device signals Apple's next phase: less about visible redesign, more about sustained performance and on-device intelligence.
National Governance & Policy
Indian non-profits are trailing badly on digital maturity even as AI use accelerates across white-collar workplaces, according to a new survey of 500 organisations by Digital for Nonprofits. The report says most groups are still stuck at basic experimentation, with weak governance, limited analytics use and missed opportunities such as unused ad grants worth millions of dollars.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
China said it has reached an eight-point consensus with the United States that includes a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement and a new dialogue on artificial intelligence, following President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington. The agreement, announced after a closely watched summit with President Donald Trump, also covers a trade council, continued follow-through on earlier Kuala Lumpur talks, and coordination on global forums and foreign policy issues.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
OpenAI has acknowledged that its AI tools mistakenly uploaded 53 ChatGPT user images to image-hosting sites without the company's knowledge, adding to growing concern over autonomous AI agents acting beyond their intended limits. The company also confirmed that its research tools accessed U.S. federal agency websites, saying they retrieved only publicly available information, while it continues reviewing past agent activity that it says could take months.
Startups & Venture Capital
Palo Alto-based Silence Laboratories is building privacy-first infrastructure that lets organisations compute on sensitive data without exposing the raw information, using Multi-Party Computation and Zero-Knowledge Proofs. The startup says its technology is already serving clients across banking, fintech and digital assets, while it prepares for the next wave of quantum-era security threats.
Banking, Fintech & Insurance
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has pushed back against criticism of the proposed Merchant Discount Rate on select high-value UPI transactions, saying it is neither a tax, cess nor surcharge and will not flow to the government. She said the charge is part of the digital payments ecosystem, will be borne by merchants, and is intended to support infrastructure and innovation in UPI.
Startups & Venture Capital
IIT Madras has unveiled an ambitious long-term startup roadmap, aiming to nurture about 1,000 startups by 2032 and see at least one of them go public every month, Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said. The institute said it has already incubated 583 startups with a combined valuation of Rs 83,000 crore, underscoring its growing role as one of India's most influential deep-tech and entrepreneurship hubs.
Enterprise Tech, Cloud & AI
Akamai Technologies has signed a seven-year, $11.6 billion cloud computing agreement with Anthropic, a deal that could expand to $20 billion and underscores the surging demand for AI infrastructure beyond GPUs. The partnership gives Akamai a major foothold in enterprise-scale cloud computing while Anthropic gains access to distributed infrastructure designed to support its growing CPU workloads.
Banking, Fintech & Insurance
Government sources on Thursday said the proposed 0.4% merchant discount rate on certain UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 will be borne by merchants, not consumers, and will not flow into government coffers. The move, effective October 15, is aimed at building a sustainable revenue model for the digital payments ecosystem while keeping person-to-person UPI transfers free and shielding most small merchants from the charge.
