The Indian compound archery team of Chikitha Taniparthi, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam defeated China 238-234 at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square on Wednesday to defend their Asian Games gold medal.

President of India Droupadi Murmu and several Union ministers, including Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, congratulated the Indian women’s compound archery team for retaining the title.

“Heartiest congratulations to Taniparthi Chikitha, Prithika Pradeep and Jyothi Surekha Vennam on winning the Gold Medal in the Women’s Compound Archery Team event at the Asian Games 2026! Your exceptional precision, composure and teamwork have made the nation proud. May this memorable achievement inspire you to reach many more milestones,” President Murmu wrote on X.

“Bullseye for Gold! Heartiest congratulations to Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Taniparthi Chikitha on winning Gold in the Women’s Compound Team event at #AsianGames2026. The trio also equalled the World Record in a masterclass of precision and skill,” Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on X.

India won silver in the event in 2018 and bronze in 2014. The victory marked India’s seventh gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games. India’s overall medal tally stood at 53, comprising seven gold, 21 silver and 25 bronze medals.

The Indian trio defeated South Korea in the semifinal before overcoming China in the final with a world-record-equalling score of 238. The South Korean team had set the previous world record in Incheon in 2014.

India opened the final with a 30-28 lead and extended its advantage to three points in the second end, despite Chikitha scoring a nine in the first rotation. Prithika and Jyothi maintained their perfect form, consistently hitting 10s.

China opened the second end with a nine and two 10s, while India matched that score. China then added two 10s and a nine, but the Indian trio responded with three consecutive 10s in the second rotation to increase their lead to 119-116.

China continued to apply pressure in the third end. The Chinese archers opened with three 10s, while Chikitha started India’s sequence with a nine. Prithika and Jyothi followed with 10s to preserve India’s advantage. China then recorded a nine and two 10s in the second rotation, but India answered with three 10s to take a 178-175 lead.

China began the final end with two 9s and a 10, while all three Indian archers responded with 10s. China then produced three 10s in its final sequence to keep the contest close. India, however, finished with three more 10s to secure a 238-234 victory and retain the gold medal.

India enjoyed its most successful Asian Games archery campaign at Hangzhou 2023, where it won a record nine medals, including five gold, two silver and two bronze. Compound archers claimed all five gold medals on offer, while India’s recurve teams added one silver and one bronze.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described Saudi Arabia as India’s trusted and valued strategic partner, highlighting the wide-ranging ties between the two countries across defence, security, trade, investment, energy, technology, healthcare, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

Sitharaman met Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Aljadaan on the sidelines of the AIIB 2026 Annual Meeting. Aljadaan congratulated Sitharaman on India’s strong economic performance and improving investment climate and shared his views on the Saudi economy.

The two ministers welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations on the India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The agreement will create a stronger and more predictable framework for bilateral investments and help strengthen investor confidence, according to the Finance Ministry.

Aljadaan said Saudi Arabia looks forward to implementing the agreement at the earliest.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the bilateral relationship during his state visit to Saudi Arabia, the ministers discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Aljadaan also expressed Saudi Arabia’s interest in attracting investments from India.

During her meeting with Ambassador Pietro Lazzeri, AIIB Governor from Switzerland, Sitharaman highlighted the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) as a trusted partner for foreign investors seeking opportunities in India.

She pointed to NIIF’s governance and transparency standards and encouraged Swiss investors to explore its infrastructure funds for exposure to India’s infrastructure sector.

Lazzeri said Switzerland sees significant opportunities in India for portfolio diversification and investment. He also referred to the upcoming state visit to India and the second EFTA Prosperity Summit in New Delhi.

According to the Finance Ministry, Lazzeri noted that Swiss foreign direct investment (FDI) growth in India is outpacing global FDI and sought support for finalising the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement.

He also expressed interest in greater cooperation in financial services and sustainable finance.

Sitharaman encouraged Swiss investors and financial services companies to explore opportunities at GIFT IFSC, India’s homegrown international financial services centre. She highlighted its range of financial services and products, tax benefits and business-friendly environment.

Sitharaman also met Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle. The ministers welcomed the opportunity to meet again and discussed follow-up actions from their earlier meeting in New Delhi.

Their discussions focused on Nepal’s assessment and priorities for reconstruction and recovery following the floods. Both sides emphasised continued engagement between their teams to determine the specific support India can provide during this critical period.

The ministers also reviewed progress on projects discussed during their New Delhi meeting and stressed the need for continued coordination. They also discussed the early operationalisation and wider use of the UPI-NPI linkage, which the Finance Ministry described as an initiative that could benefit both countries.

Indian trap shooter Neeru Dhanda clinched historic gold in the women’s trap individual event at the 2026 Asian Games, setting an Asian record in the final at the Aichi Pref. General Shooting Gallery on Tuesday.

Neeru topped the qualification round with 118 points before scoring 28 in the final to set an Asian record. With the victory, she became the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games gold medal in the trap event.

She also became the first Indian shooter to win an Asian Games medal in an individual trap event.

Earlier on Tuesday, Neeru also won a silver medal in the trap team event alongside Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer. The Indian trio recorded a combined score of 328 after three days of the 125-shot qualification round, holding off Kuwait to secure silver.

Neeru maintained her composure throughout the final. She recorded her first miss on the ninth shot, which briefly dropped her to third place. However, she responded with perfect hits in the third and fourth series and moved into the lead with 19 hits from 20 shots.

She retained the top position despite missing once in the fifth series before sealing the gold with five consecutive hits.

China’s Yunong Sun won the silver medal with 26 points, while Kuwait claimed bronze with 21.

The victory marked India’s second gold medal in shooting at the 2026 Asian Games and its fifth gold medal overall at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Earlier this year, Neeru made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual ISSF World Cup gold medal in women’s trap at the Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy.

She also won a bronze medal in the trap mixed team event at the ISSF World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

OpenAI has cancelled the planned release of a new artificial intelligence (AI) model after tests found that it could act beyond a user’s instructions and fail to accurately describe its actions, according to multiple reports.

The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported that OpenAI had scheduled the model, called GPT-6.1 Astra, for release in ChatGPT and Codex in October. The decision affects that planned update.

OpenAI released an earlier model, GPT-6 Astra, this month.

Saachi Jain, OpenAI’s head of safety systems, said the newer model “didn’t quite meet the bar in terms of staying within scope and authorisation and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work it’s done,” The Washington Post reported.

The concern goes beyond whether a model gives a wrong answer. AI agents can use tools and perform tasks on computers. Users therefore need to know whether an agent stayed within the assigned task and whether it accurately described its actions.

OpenAI had planned to integrate the new model into products that people use for writing, research and software development, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company’s decision means the October release will not proceed as planned. Neither newspaper reported a new release date.

The cancellation follows a separate pause in the development of highly capable models as OpenAI reviews its safeguards.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that OpenAI had disclosed instances in which its agents accessed US and Australian government websites in ways the company did not intend. These developments remain separate, and the reports do not establish that those incidents involved GPT-6.1 Astra.

The reported failure to stay within its authorised scope raises a practical question for anyone who asks an AI agent to complete a task: Will the agent seek permission before taking additional steps? Jain’s statement also highlights another issue — whether the agent will clearly tell users what work it actually performed.

That distinction matters to users in India as well as elsewhere. People use ChatGPT and coding tools across borders, while developers make decisions about which models to release.

Monday’s reports did not identify any India-specific incident, impact on Indian customers or changes to services already available in India.

The episode comes only weeks after OpenAI published a safety overview for GPT-6 Astra.

In that document, the company described the earlier model as reaching its highest cybersecurity capability threshold and said it had strengthened controls against harmful or unauthorised actions.

OpenAI’s September account also said the company had delayed parts of the earlier model’s development while it tested additional safeguards before release. The newly cancelled update represents a separate release decision involving a later model. The company has not said in the cited reports when, or whether, GPT-6.1 Astra could meet its safety requirements.

Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 139 and captain Shubman Gill struck 110 as India crushed the West Indies by eight wickets in the first ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After the West Indies posted 295/7, Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling attack with a four-wicket haul and controlled the scoring during the middle overs.

Rohit Sharma and Gill then gave India a flying start with a 74-run opening stand before Gill and Kohli took control with a 151-run partnership. Gill left the field to a standing ovation after scoring 110 off 108 balls, his 10th ODI century, which included 13 fours and a six.

Kohli, who became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs during the innings, smashed an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls, hitting 10 fours and nine sixes. He hit more sixes in the innings than ever before in his ODI career. The knock marked his 55th ODI century and 10th against the West Indies, as India chased down the target with 50 balls to spare.

Rohit set the tone for the chase by driving the first ball from Jayden Seales through the boundary for four. Gill survived a chance at 11 when the West Indies dropped him at cover-point, while the visitors also wasted a review on an lbw appeal against Rohit. The Indian opener responded by slashing the next delivery over sweeper cover for six.

Gill hammered Alzarri Joseph for three fours in the eighth over before lifting Gudakesh Motie over cover for six. Rohit then pulled Motie for his third six as India reached 70/0 at the end of the powerplay.

Joseph finally broke the opening partnership in the 12th over after moving the deep-square-leg fielder slightly straighter. Rohit miscued a whip straight to the fielder and departed for 32. Joseph dismissed Rohit for the fourth time in ODIs.

Kohli opened his account with a top-edged pull over the wicketkeeper for six. Gill brought up his half-century from 49 balls as dew began to settle. With Justin Greaves off the field because of a shin problem, West Indies captain Shai Hope had only five frontline bowlers available.

Kohli reached his fifty from 40 balls before smashing Joseph for three consecutive fours in the 29th over. The second boundary took Kohli past 15,000 ODI runs and made him the fastest men’s batter to reach the landmark, surpassing Tendulkar’s record. Gill completed his century with a drive off Seales at the start of the 31st over.

Kohli’s pulled six off Roston Chase in the 34th over brought up the 150-run partnership, but Gill fell three balls later while attempting a slog-sweep to deep midwicket. With Ruturaj Gaikwad unbeaten on 13, Kohli danced down the pitch and lofted Motie over long-on for six to complete his century from 74 balls. The knock became his third-fastest ODI hundred and his 60th century in List A cricket.

Keemo Paul dropped Kohli on 125, and the Indian star made the West Indies pay. He whipped Keacy Carty over deep backward square leg for six before sealing the victory with another six over fine leg.

Earlier, Justin Greaves struck a fluent 101 off 108 balls, while John Campbell and Amir Jangoo contributed half-centuries for the West Indies.

After India put them in to bat in stifling heat and humidity, the West Indies raced to 85/0 during the powerplay. India’s seamers struggled to maintain control, and Greaves attacked them aggressively, scoring 56 off 55 balls against the pacers, including 10 fours. India’s spinners restricted him to 44 runs from 53 balls.

Nitish Kumar Reddy conceded 18 runs in his first over as Greaves smashed four boundaries, including one off a no-ball and another from the resulting free hit. Gurnoor Brar nearly dismissed Greaves in the fourth over, but Rohit Sharma could only get his fingertips to the edge at wide slip.

Campbell immediately attacked Ravindra Jadeja when India introduced spin, hitting two sixes over long-on. Greaves then cut debutant Naman Dhir for four in the 14th over to reach his fifty and help West Indies record their first century opening partnership against India since 2019.

Kuldeep ended the 135-run opening stand in the 20th over when Campbell top-edged a sweep to short fine leg. Keacy Carty struggled for runs before Prasidh Krishna induced him into a lofted shot that landed with the mid-on fielder in the 31st over. Kuldeep then dismissed captain Shai Hope, who edged a delivery to backward point.

Greaves completed his maiden ODI century with a single through point but soon lost his wicket while attempting a sweep against Kuldeep’s googly. India’s review confirmed that the ball would have hit off stump.

Kuldeep struck again with the very next delivery when Jewel Andrew pressed forward against another googly and edged the ball to Rohit at slip for a golden duck.

Roston Chase and Amir Jangoo steadied the innings with a 50-run partnership before Prasidh bowled Chase for 24 in the 45th over. Jangoo, who had smashed three fours off Prasidh in the 43rd over, then hit Gurnoor for two consecutive fours and a six to complete his second ODI fifty from just 38 balls.

Nitish dismissed Matthew Forde in the final over, while Jangoo finished unbeaten on 58 off 43 balls. However, the West Indies fell five runs short of 300, leaving India with a manageable target that Gill and Kohli chased down comfortably.

Kohli also reached another major milestone during the innings, becoming only the second men’s batter after Tendulkar to score 15,000 ODI runs.

Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 10,000 ODI runs in 2018, achieving the milestone in 205 innings. He needed only 11 innings to progress from 9,000 to 10,000 runs. He also holds the record for reaching 8,000, 9,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000 and 14,000 ODI runs in the fewest innings.

Kohli had already surpassed one of Tendulkar’s most celebrated records when he scored his 50th ODI century during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. He has now added another landmark to his career with his latest century.

Brief Scores:
West Indies 295/7 in 50 overs (Justin Greaves 101, John Campbell 62; Kuldeep Yadav 4-40, Prasidh Krishna 2-60)
India 300/2 in 41.4 overs (Virat Kohli 139 not out, Shubman Gill 110; Roston Chase 1-64, Alzarri Joseph 1-81)

India has taken a significant step toward strengthening its quantum technology capabilities, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signing its first high-value deep-tech project agreement under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme with Zero mK India Private Limited, an Alwar-based startup in Rajasthan.

The Director of TDF and representatives of Zero mK India signed the agreement in New Delhi to jointly develop an indigenous 20 millikelvin (mK)-class dilution refrigerator for quantum technology applications.

The project represents the first high-value agreement under the Rs 500-crore corpus approved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to accelerate the development of deep-tech and other cutting-edge technologies in India.

Through the initiative, DRDO aims to strengthen India’s capabilities in strategic and emerging technologies by expanding collaboration between the defence sector and private industry.

Dilution refrigerators are specialised cryogenic systems that create ultra-low temperatures in the millikelvin range. Quantum computing platforms and several other advanced quantum technologies require these extremely cold environments for operation, testing and development.

The indigenous development of a 20 mK dilution refrigerator supports the objectives of the National Quantum Mission and could strengthen India’s expertise in quantum computing, advanced cryogenics and other strategic research fields.

The project also aims to reduce India’s dependence on imported cryogenic infrastructure. Developing the technology domestically could help build a stronger and more self-reliant quantum technology ecosystem while supporting applications across scientific research and advanced defence technologies.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the industry partner and other stakeholders involved in the project. He said the collaboration could provide a model for future partnerships between DRDO and private industry in emerging technology areas.

Defence Secretary, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh also congratulated the teams and wished them success in achieving the project’s objectives.

Senior officials, including the Director General of Micro Electronic Devices & Computational Systems and Cyber Security (DG MCC), Director General of Technology Management (DG TM), Director of the Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL) and other stakeholders, attended the signing ceremony in New Delhi.

Elon Musk-backed SpaceX is set to launch its Starship rocket on its 14th test flight as early as Monday, with the mission marking the spacecraft’s first attempt at an orbital flight.

SpaceX said on X that the 75-minute launch window would open at 7:15 a.m., subject to regulatory approval. The company plans to livestream the launch on its official website, with coverage expected to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff.

The mission aims to take Starship to an altitude of around 275 km, complete roughly six orbits and remain in flight for nearly 10 hours before making a targeted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

After stage separation, Starship’s upper stage is expected to deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX says the satellites could add around 26 terabits per second of capacity to its satellite constellation, roughly 10 times the capacity delivered by a standard Falcon 9 launch.

Once it deploys the satellites, Starship will perform an in-space deorbit burn using a single Raptor engine before attempting a controlled re-entry and splashdown.

The mission will also test several critical phases of the Super Heavy booster, including liftoff, stage separation and the final landing burn ahead of a planned offshore splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX has introduced hardware and software upgrades for the flight after ice-related engine failures cut short the boostback maneuver during Flight 13.

The company has also modified Starship’s heat shield, introducing sturdier tile mountings, curved tile designs and improved plasma shielding, according to reports.

Ship 41 will carry two recycled heat-shield tiles from Ship 40, giving SpaceX an early opportunity to test the reusability of Starship’s thermal protection system.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on Sunday deferred its planned three-day nationwide strike after holding an eleventh-hour meeting with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

The UFBU said in a statement that representatives of the two sides met on Sunday and agreed to defer the proposed strike following discussions on several pending issues.

As part of the agreement, the IBA and UFBU will immediately form a joint committee to examine the demand to declare all Saturdays bank holidays. The committee will evaluate various options, consult stakeholders and work towards a solution that addresses the interests of all parties, including customers.

The two sides will also begin discussions on changes to the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Scale IV and above officers. The talks will aim to address the concerns of senior bank officers and take up the matter with the government.

The IBA and UFBU will further discuss other pending matters mentioned in the minutes of their March 8, 2024 meeting, with the aim of resolving them at the earliest.

Following these developments, the UFBU said it would withdraw its planned protests and strike action for the time being.

Earlier, State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BoB), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and several other public sector banks opened their branches on Sunday to give customers an additional opportunity to complete essential banking transactions ahead of the proposed three-day strike from September 28 to September 30.

The special Sunday opening covered public sector banks (PSBs) and regional rural banks (RRBs), following a directive aimed at maintaining regular banking services before the proposed strike. Customers requiring branch-based banking services could therefore use the additional working day, subject to individual branches’ operational arrangements and staffing.

Authorities decided to open PSB and RRB branches on Sunday following a September 21 meeting involving officials from the Finance Ministry, public sector banks, regional rural banks, the IBA and NABARD.

The makers of director Balaji Tharaneetharan’s eagerly awaited Tamil film Baththa, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Lijomol Jose in the lead roles, have released the film’s trailer, delighting fans and film buffs.

Vijay Sethupathi shared the trailer link on his X timeline and wrote, “#Baththa ulagirkku ungalai varuga varuga ena varaverkirom, #BaththaTrailer out now. Written & Directed by #BalajiTharaneetharan. A @SaiAbhyankkar musical. #BaththaFromOct1.”

The trailer opens with the larger-than-life image people have created around Baththa, played by Vijay Sethupathi. Children eagerly exchange outrageous stories about his courage. One child claims that Baththa once broke the ribs of a man who challenged him and walked away carrying him under his arm. Another recalls how Baththa broke open prison gates to escape. A third even claims that Baththa keeps a lion as a pet.

The trailer establishes Baththa as a man nobody dares to challenge. However, his wife, played by Lijomol Jose, and his daughter see a completely different side of him. They know him as a soft, gentle and caring husband and father. The film also brings plenty of humour to this contrast.

In one amusing scene, Baththa stylishly sings a song before telling his wife on their wedding night not to fear him. The terrified wife responds, “I will not be scared if you don’t sing.”

A few days ago, the makers also released a glimpse video from the film. The video shows Baththa’s family and friends eagerly waiting for his return and makes it clear that the story takes place in the 1980s. Baththa’s daughter says she feels scared and wants her father to return, while his brother confidently expects him to come back.

A young boy also describes Baththa’s fearless nature, saying, “Everybody is scared of him but he isn’t scared of anything.” The glimpse further hints at a major crime as people expect something serious to happen, while the police question them about anyone they suspect.

Vijay Sethupathi and Lijomol Jose headline Baththa, which Balaji Tharaneetharan has written and directed. The filmmaker previously delivered the superhit film Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom. Well-known director Atlee presents the film.

Sai Abhyankkar has composed the music, while Selvakumar S.K. handles the cinematography. R. Kalaivanan oversees the editing, and T Muthuraj serves as the production designer.

Baththa will arrive in theatres worldwide on October 1, 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian shooters Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamaljeet after they won the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Suruchi and Kamaljeet produced a composed and record-breaking performance in the final, combining for 484.6 points. Their score secured India the gold medal and set a new Asian record in the event.

“An excellent performance with a new Asian Record! Congratulations to Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh on winning Gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event at the Asian Games. Their determination has brought immense pride to the nation. Best wishes for the journey ahead,” PM Modi wrote on X.

The Indian pair maintained their composure during a tense final and consistently delivered accurate shots as the competition intensified. Their consistency proved crucial in the mixed-team format, where both shooters must perform under pressure to secure a strong overall score.

Suruchi and Kamaljeet topped the standings with 484.6 points, finishing ahead of the Republic of Korea’s Choo Gaeun and Hong Suhyeon. The Korean pair secured the silver medal with 478.0 points.

Iran’s Rostamyan Haniyeh and Golkhandan Vahid claimed the bronze medal after scoring 415.8 points. Indonesia’s Darmoyo A. and Prabowo M. finished fourth with 349.4 points.

The victory added another major medal to India’s shooting campaign at the continental event and highlighted the country’s growing presence in precision shooting. The gold medal carried added significance as the Indian duo also set a new Asian record.

Suruchi and Kamaljeet built their winning performance on accuracy, discipline and composure under pressure. When the final scores appeared on the electronic scoreboard, their 484.6 points confirmed both India’s victory and their record-breaking achievement.