India added five medals on Day 5 of the 2026 Asian Games, with athletics contributing silver in the mixed 4x400m relay and bronze from Seema Kumari in the women’s 10,000m. Roshibina Devi won silver in the women’s Sanda 60kg event, while Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal secured bronze in mixed team skeet. Rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan also won bronze in men’s double sculls, giving India 17 medals overall. The mixed relay quartet clocked 3:14.46, finishing behind Bahrain’s Games-record 3:12.87. India’s men’s hockey team beat South Korea 8-2, while both kabaddi teams reached the semifinals unbeaten. Several Indian athletes also successfully advanced in squash, table tennis, boxing and athletics. (PC: PTI, AFP & Reuters)

US President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as “strong” and “vibrant” ahead of their Washington summit in Washington, after personally greeting Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews. Trump described Xi as “better than ever” in a social media post, highlighting the unusually warm welcome for the Chinese leader. Trump also said “Super Intelligence”, his term for artificial intelligence, would be a major topic during their talks. He said he wanted to leave the issue “exactly where it is”, adding that China held the same position. The summit is expected to cover artificial intelligence, alongside trade, Taiwan, Iran and other bilateral contentious issues in US-China relations.

Fears of consumers shifting to cash because of merchant fees on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 are “100% misplaced”, government sources said. Officials argued that Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) already applies to credit and debit cards, except RuPay debit cards, without discouraging use. They said merchants have absorbed card MDR and questioned why UPI should be treated differently. Officials also warned that providing UPI services free indefinitely could undermine the system’s sustainability, describing it as a “golden goose”. Only 4% of person-to-merchant UPI transactions exceed Rs 2,000 and would attract the fee. Fees collected from high-value UPI payments are unlikely to cover the full cost of operating payments infrastructure. (PC: X)

US President Donald Trump’s address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly has triggered fresh friction in India-US relations by reviving two contentious issues. Trump warned Iran that it must accept a new deal or face “annihilation”, while saying a major decision could follow the US midterm elections. His remarks came as India has raised concerns over Washington’s new sanctions law targeting countries buying Russian energy, including India. Trump said the law gives him tariff powers over Russian-oil buyers. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed India’s economic and strategic concerns to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during UNGA talks. Both sides discussed Middle East developments and reaffirmed their strategic partnership. (PC: Reuters)

India’s mixed 4x400m relay team won silver at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, clocking 3:14.46 in the final. The quartet of Poovamma Raju, Vishal Thennarasu, Manu TS and Vithya Ramraj finished second behind Bahrain, who claimed gold in a Games-record 3:12.87. India appeared set for bronze before Vithya delivered a strong final leg, overtaking Vietnam in the closing stages to move into second place. The result marked India’s third consecutive Asian Games medal in the mixed 4x400m relay, following gold in 2018 and silver in 2023. Vietnam finished third in 3:14.54. India’s silver added another athletics medal to the country’s overall tally at the Nagoya Games on Thursday in Japan.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has given Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar 48 hours to resign, warning of nationwide agitation if he refuses. The demand follows controversy over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the Election Commission had undermined rights and demanded criminal proceedings against Kumar. The party also called for the SIR exercise to be frozen and for the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners to be repealed. CJP further demanded an independent inquiry into the SIR process. The Election Commission has disputed claims of internal disagreement, saying differing views are part of deliberations and decisions were unanimous.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India would no longer tolerate “nuclear blackmail” and warned that hostile action originating from Pakistani soil would be treated as an act of war. Speaking at News18 DEFCON 2026, Singh said Operation Sindoor had demonstrated India’s resolve following the Pahalgam attack, which he said killed 26 people. He stated that terrorism, talks and trade could not proceed together and said there would be no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors. Singh also cited India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying “blood and water” could not flow together. He highlighted India’s expanding strategic partnerships through the Quad, I2U2, BIMSTEC, BRICS and SCO, while emphasizing security preparedness.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on China and the United States to ensure artificial intelligence remains under human control and serves people’s interests during his White House meeting with President Donald Trump. Speaking in the White House Grand Foyer on Thursday, Xi said both countries were leading nations in AI and therefore had a special responsibility for managing its development. He urged the two sides to develop and manage AI “for good” while keeping human control over the technology. AI was a key issue in the summit, alongside trade, security and other bilateral concerns. Trump had earlier said “Super Intelligence” would be discussed, while indicating he wanted arrangements to remain unchanged.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Washington on September 23 for talks with US President Donald Trump has failed to end recent speculation about his health. Xi was seen walking slowly down the aircraft stairs while holding the handrail and his wife Peng Liyuan’s hand. The rumours intensified after he skipped a BRICS gala dinner in New Delhi and returned to China earlier than other leaders. A Chinese dissident has alleged that Xi suffered a stroke, but the claim remains unverified and has not been supported by credible medical or official evidence. Xi’s participation in the US visit provides no confirmation of the health allegations. 

Bangladesh has resumed significant wheat purchases from India after a four-year gap, as Russia-Ukraine war-related attacks disrupt grain shipments through the Black Sea. Wheat flour prices in Dhaka have risen by around 17% in the past month, increasing pressure on consumers. Supplies from Australia, Canada and other distant markets have become more expensive, making Indian wheat attractive because of lower transport costs and shorter delivery times. Since India relaxed its wheat export restrictions in August, Bangladeshi buyers have booked at least 200,000 tonnes. India’s record 2025–26 harvest is also expected to boost exports substantially in 2026–27. (PC: AP)