Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi, 23, won the silver medal in the women’s road race at the 2026 Asian Games near Nagoya, Japan, finishing behind China’s Guo Li. Hashimi began cycling as a teenager in Afghanistan and said she sometimes disguised herself as a man to train, facing attacks and intimidation. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she fled Afghanistan with assistance from former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto and relocated to Italy. Hashimi, who competed at the Paris Olympics, said the silver medal represents resilience among Afghan women. She hopes future Afghan girls can compete without fear. (PC: Reuters)

A nearly seven-hour hostage standoff in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, ended early Wednesday after Arvind Singh, accused of killing his wife and two priests during a dispute over a puja, was shot by police. Singh had allegedly locked himself inside a room with his three children and refused repeated appeals to surrender. During the standoff, his eight-year-old son was critically injured in the firing and later died in hospital. Police subsequently rescued Singh’s two daughters safely. Singh also died from injuries sustained during the police response. Authorities have launched an investigation, with forensic teams collecting evidence from the scene.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan must demonstrate a firm commitment and take credible action against cross-border terrorism before its assurances are trusted internationally. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks on September 22 while responding to comments by Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who said Pakistan’s armed forces were determined to defeat terrorism. India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to end support for cross-border terrorism. Jaiswal’s comments came amid heightened regional tensions, including Pakistan’s recent airstrikes in Afghanistan, which India condemned as harmful to regional peace and security. (PC: ANI)

US President Donald Trump again claimed at the United Nations General Assembly that his administration helped stop a full-scale India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025. Trump said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for helping save “30 million lives.” He presented the episode as part of his foreign policy record and said US diplomatic efforts helped de-escalate tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. India, however, has repeatedly rejected the claim that Washington mediated the ceasefire. Indian officials have said the cessation of military action was agreed through direct communication between the Indian and Pakistani militaries. Trump’s latest remarks came during his September 22 UNGA speech.

India faces a busy day at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on September 23, with Manu Bhaker and Mirabai Chanu among the major names in action. Bhaker will compete in the women’s 10m air pistol qualification alongside Suruchi Inder Singh and Esha Singh, with the final scheduled later if they qualify. Mirabai will contest the women’s 49kg weightlifting final, seeking her first Asian Games medal. India’s men’s badminton team will face China in the semifinal after beating Japan in the quarterfinals. Wushu athlete Roshibina Devi will also compete in the 60kg Sanda semifinal. India’s women’s hockey team will meet Thailand. (PC: India Today)

A Sri Lankan court has sentenced 15 men to 220 years of rigorous imprisonment each for their roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar found them guilty on Tuesday after a lengthy trial. The coordinated attacks on April 21, 2019, targeted three churches and three hotels and killed 269 people, while more than 500 were injured. The court also ordered the confiscation of the convicts’ movable and immovable property. Nine other accused were acquitted and released. The attacks were carried out by nine suicide bombers, including Zahran Hashim, and were linked to the banned National Thowheeth Jama’ath group.  

US President Donald Trump said the United States faces a choice between reaching a deal with Iran or “annihilating” the Islamic Republic during his UN General Assembly speech on Tuesday. Trump said Washington had given Iran opportunities to reach an agreement before military action. He called for continued economic pressure until Iran stops attacks on commercial shipping, abandons its nuclear ambitions and ends support for terrorism. Trump also rejected reports of low US ammunition supplies, saying the country has large stocks and is increasing production. On Russia and Ukraine, Trump said the United States was working with both sides and expected a deal to happen quickly. (PC: HT)

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has backed student protests in Odisha over errors in school textbooks and demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond. CJP co-convenor Saurav Das visited Bhubaneswar and inspected three government schools while supporting the Nabnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan (NYCS) agitation. The controversy began after 1,678 factual, typographical and printing errors were found in textbooks for Classes I to VIII. The state government has suspended four officials and started disciplinary action against six others. It has also begun distributing corrected textbooks. The protesters have demanded education reforms and accountability. The NYCS planned to gherao the Odisha Assembly on September 22. (PC: India Today)

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the US should not punish India or global oil markets over Russian oil purchases. Speaking in Mumbai, Dimon said sanctions could create problems for refineries that are designed to process specific types of crude. He said the US should focus on helping Ukraine and carefully consider how sanctions affect global markets. A new US law allows tariffs of up to 100% on imports from major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India. India has warned that such measures could affect its trade with the US and global energy markets. Russia remains India’s largest crude oil supplier.  

US President Donald Trump said UK-US relations are better under Prime Minister Andy Burnham than they were under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump made the remarks after meeting Burnham in person at the United Nations General Assembly. He said the two countries are “doing very well” and praised Burnham as a “natural businessperson”. Trump also said Burnham “gets it”. Burnham said earlier that the two leaders had established a good connection. The meeting also covered trade and business deals involving British companies. Trump has previously criticised the UK’s Chagos Islands deal, calling it “terrible”.