US President Donald Trump, addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 22, said Iran faced a choice between reaching a deal with Washington and what he called “annihilation” of the Islamic Republic. Trump said he believed an agreement could be reached after the November 3 US midterm elections, arguing Tehran was waiting to see the election outcome. He urged countries to join the United States in economically isolating Iran to pressure it into negotiations. Trump defended US military action against Iran, saying it had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Reuters reported that Iran had signalled interest in reviving negotiations, while officials said Washington remained open to talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the Kashmir issue during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, saying disputes including Kashmir should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions. Erdogan said dialogue should guide efforts to address disputes in South Asia. His remarks marked another occasion on which he has referred to Kashmir during his UNGA speeches. In 2025, Erdogan had also called for resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue and UN resolutions. India had previously rejected such involvement, maintaining that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said there was no need for third-party mediation on bilateral issues between the two countries.

India on Tuesday urged Pakistan to take “credible action” against cross-border terrorism, saying statements alone were insufficient to demonstrate Islamabad’s commitment. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan must show concrete action before the world believes its claims about fighting terrorism. His remarks followed Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir’s assertion that the country’s armed forces remained determined to defeat terrorism. Jaiswal also strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces, saying several civilians were killed and expressing condolences for those who died. He said such aggression against a sovereign neighbour undermined regional peace and security. India reaffirmed support for Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the welfare of its people.

US President Donald Trump reiterated at the United Nations General Assembly that his administration helped halt the 2025 India-Pakistan confrontation surrounding India’s Operation Sindoor. Trump claimed that US diplomatic intervention prevented a conflict and said it “saved 30 million lives.” He presented the intervention as part of his foreign-policy record and a broader effort to prevent wars through diplomacy and pressure. The remarks repeated his earlier assertions that Washington played a decisive role in de-escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Trump’s comments were made while highlighting what he described as his administration’s peacekeeping achievements. The claim remains Trump’s own assertion about the potential human cost and US role in the confrontation.

India ended their wait for a first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games as Harmanpreet Kaur’s women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the T20 final. Batting first, India posted a formidable 216/3, setting Sri Lanka a target of 217. Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 79 off 45 balls, while Shafali Verma contributed 48 off 29 and Richa Ghosh remained unbeaten on 49 off 22. India’s bowlers then dismantled Sri Lanka’s chase, bowling them out for just 69 in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma took 3/6, while Shafali Verma claimed two wickets. The victory secured India’s second consecutive Asian Games women’s cricket gold medal and first gold of the 2026 Games.

US President Donald Trump suggested renaming artificial intelligence as “super intelligence” or “SI” during his United Nations General Assembly address. Trump argued that the word “artificial” does not accurately reflect AI’s capabilities and said US government documents, and potentially documents worldwide, could use “super” instead. The proposal follows Trump’s recent public discussion about renaming AI. Before the UN speech, Trump had said AI safety concerns were exaggerated and indicated that the Justice Department could intervene if necessary. The term “superintelligence” is already used in technology and academic discussions for AI systems that could potentially exceed human capabilities across broad tasks. The remarks add to ongoing debate over AI development and oversight.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) extended its School Thik Karo campaign to BJP-ruled Odisha, with co-convenor Saurav Das inspecting government schools in and around Bhubaneswar. Das backed the Nabnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan’s protest over errors in state textbooks and demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond. At least 1,678 factual, typographical and printing errors were identified in textbooks for Classes I to VIII. The Odisha government has suspended four officials, initiated disciplinary proceedings against six others and accepted recommendations to overhaul the review process. Revised textbooks are being distributed. The NYCS has announced an Assembly gherao, while Odisha BJP spokesperson Anil Biswal rejected CJP’s allegations as political.

The mother of a 20-year-old IIT Bombay student who allegedly died by suicide said her son had told the family about “torture” and casteist slurs. “Sahil had informed us that he was facing torture and casteist slurs,” she said. She added that the family has faith in the Constitution and hopes her son will get justice. His father alleged that claims of cheating in an exam were meant to divert attention. Police have registered an FIR and transferred the case to the Mumbai Crime Branch. The student was found dead in his hostel on September 18. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been suspended from his administrative post.  

India won its first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday. The Indian women’s cricket team beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. The team defended its gold medal from the previous edition. India also confirmed two more medals. The men’s badminton team beat Japan 3-0 in the quarter-final to secure a medal. Wushu player Roshibina Devi also reached the medal stage in the women’s 60kg event. India’s men’s kabaddi team beat South Korea 63-31. The men’s hockey team also recorded a big win, defeating Sri Lanka 16-1 in their Pool A match.  

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has taken its “School Thik Karo” campaign to Odisha. CJP co-convenor Saurav Das visited three government schools in Bhubaneswar. He raised concerns over poor hygiene and damaged buildings. Das also demanded the resignation of Education Minister Nityananda Gond over errors in school textbooks. Around 1,678 factual, printing and typing errors were found in books for Classes I to VIII. The Odisha government suspended four officials and started action against six others. It has also begun distributing corrected textbooks. Student groups continue to protest and plan to surround the Odisha Assembly over the issue.