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• The world marks the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21 amid ongoing global wars and social crises. • Abdullah Kanaan, Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, stated there is a widening divide between formal peace language and the humanitarian reality of war. • The persistence of killing, displacement, and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank demonstrates the difficulty of turning peace initiatives into tangible outcomes for affected populations.

• India won two medals during the first day of the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. • China led the opening day standings with 20 total medals, including 11 golds. • More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries are competing for medals across 469 different events.

• Team India won two medals on the opening day of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 20, 2026. • Elavenil Valarivan earned a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle with a score of 252.4, while the Men’s Table Tennis Team defeated Indonesia 3–0. • These early victories establish India's competitive standing in both shooting and table tennis at the start of the multi-sport event.

• The Nifty index settled below 23,350 and the Sensex ended marginally lower during the most recent trading session. • Broader markets showed strength as the Nifty Small Cap 100 index traded over 1% higher and the Nifty Mid Cap 100 rose 0.5%. • Vedanta and PowerGrid Corporation have scheduled board meetings to consider fund-raising proposals to secure new capital.

• Scientists determined that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS likely formed in a region of its original solar system where its home star's light could not reach. • Researchers used the object's composition to conclude it originated far from its parent star. • Studying these interstellar visitors provides data on how planets and smaller bodies form around stars in other parts of the galaxy.

• India's women's cricket team defeated Japan by 8 wickets in the Asian Games quarter-final on Friday. • Shafali Verma powered the victory for the Indian side, which entered the tournament as the highest-ranked team in the eight-team competition. • The win keeps the defending champions on track for a medal run following their record eighth Women's Asia Cup title.

• The Indian stock market ended a volatile session with the Sensex closing flat at 74,295 and the Nifty closing at 23,346. • Japan's Nikkei average futures rose 1.67 per cent as investors waited for the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision. • Regional market performance varies widely, with Vietnam's VN-Index rising only 1.4 per cent this year compared to gains of 24 per cent in Thailand and 21 per cent in Singapore.

UK ministers say report into incident leaves questions unanswered over why problem was not discovered and fixed earlierA software defect in part of the UK’s air traffic control system corrupted flight data “in the space of a millisecond”, leading to a six-hour outage and mass airline cancellations and delays across the UK last week, National Air Traffic Services has said.But ministers said that the report into the incident still left questions unanswered, saying they needed “to urgently understand why this issue was not discovered and fixed before it caused chaos”. Continue reading...

• The Indian stock market saw mixed results on September 18, 2026, as the Sensex slipped while the Nifty 50 gained 75 points by the close. • Singapore reported a 46.2% year-on-year surge in August exports, which was driven primarily by demand for artificial intelligence technology. • Brazil's central bank implemented its fifth consecutive interest rate cut to stimulate economic activity.

• India's women's cricket team defeated Japan in the Asian Games 2026 quarter-final to qualify for the semi-finals. • Shafali Verma and Shree Charani led the Indian scoring effort during the match held at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. • This victory allows India to advance in the tournament while Japan established a historic performance by challenging a top-tier cricket nation.

• Team India won the Asian Games 2026 women's quarterfinals by 8 wickets to qualify for the semi-finals against Japan. • The match took place at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, where Japan's Shree Charani took early wickets of Haruna Iwasaki and Mai Yanagida. • This victory secures India's position in the next round of the tournament as they compete for a medal.

• PepsiCo shares fell 1.91% this week to close at $133.61. • The price drop follows reports of weak demand in North America and pressure on profit margins. • This downward trend suggests sellers currently control the stock's movement within a contained trading range.

• Barrick Gold shares rose 3.21% to C$61.38 today as value investors reacted to the company's low price-to-earnings ratio. • The stock's increase follows a combination of a low valuation metric and mixed technical signals from market analysts. • This price movement suggests that investors see a value opportunity in the gold miner despite current market volatility.

• Robinhood shares rose 2.73% today following new digital securities trading guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission. • The company's stock price reached $107.28 during the trading session, though some of those intraday gains later faded. • This regulatory shift provides a clearer path for retail brokerage platforms to integrate digital assets into their trading offerings.

• Apple TV won the most Emmy Awards for the first time, led by the horror-comedy "Widow’s Bay." • "Widow’s Bay" secured 14 awards, while "The Pitt" won best drama for the second consecutive year. • Actors Matthew Rhys, Jean Smart, and Allison Janney set new industry records during the ceremony.

• Global stock markets showed mixed results as the Dow Jones fell 0.63% and the Nasdaq declined 0.78% ahead of a Federal Reserve policy decision. • Brent crude oil prices remained high near $108 a barrel despite a rise in US crude inventories. • High oil prices increase the cost of imports for India, which puts upward pressure on inflation and weakens the value of the rupee.

• The Indian Sensex and Nifty 50 stock indices closed flat on September 17, 2026, as concerns over high crude oil prices offset value buying. • Asian markets including the Nikkei, Shanghai, and KOSPI gained, while the U.S. Dow and S&P 500 declined. • The rise in the VIX, a measure of market volatility, indicates a risk-off sentiment where investors avoid risky assets.

• Pakistan defeated Thailand in a last-over cricket match to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games. • India's men's doubles teqball team, consisting of Gonsalves and Beg, was eliminated after losing group-stage matches to Vietnam and South Korea. • The early exit ends the teqball campaign for India's only athletes active on the opening day of the competition.

• Indian teqball players Gonsalves and Beg were eliminated from the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya after losing both of their group stage matches. • The Mumbai-based pair lost their opening match against Vietnam and a subsequent game against the Republic of Korea at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Centre. • This early exit follows a strong historical performance by the duo, who won India's first Teqball World Championships medal with a men's doubles bronze in 2024.

• Two new polls indicate a decline in global and U.S. trust regarding medical advice and the safety of the measles vaccine for children. • Only 19% of 1,143 adult respondents approved of President Donald Trump's handling of measles outbreaks, while 52% expressed disapproval. • Registered voters viewed the Democratic Party's approach to stopping infectious diseases more favorably than the Republican Party's by 45% to 25%.

• The US Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis point interest rate hike today. • This represents the first increase to the benchmark interest rate since 2023. • The decision is viewed as Chair Kevin Warsh resisting pressure from US President Donald Trump to keep rates lower.

• The Emmy Awards recently honored top television achievements with major wins for the series “The Pitt” and “Widow's Bay.” • The ceremony featured unexpected appearances by Taylor Swift, who performed in a skit, and Sally Field, who joined in celebrating Canada. • These high-profile guest stars and award wins drive viewership and market visibility for the winning production studios.

• Every autumn, a trio of high-profile film festivals in Venice, Telluride, and Toronto launches the race for the Academy Awards, with stars attending in hopes of winning an Oscar. • The festivals feature stars, filmmakers, and their new movies, with the goal of generating buzz and acclaim that can propel them to awards success. • These film festivals are a key part of the annual awards season, helping to shape the field of contenders for the Academy Awards and influencing the movies that will be recognized as the best of the year.

• Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are holding a summit to discuss national security risks and the competition between the U.S. and China over artificial intelligence. • George Chen of the Asia Group stated that China is unlikely to slow its AI development even if U.S. companies request it. • The Chinese Communist Party fears that AI technology could be weaponized against its own ruling authority.

• The Indian stock market declined on September 15, 2026, with the Sensex dropping more than 777.94 points and the Nifty falling below 23,118. • Market losses were driven by investor concerns regarding crude oil prices and potential decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve. • These declines indicate increased volatility for Indian equity investors as global macroeconomic pressures drag indices into the red.

• Sweden's national election results show a dead heat, with a partial count by the election authority indicating a one-seat majority for the opposition centre-left bloc. • The current government under Mr. Kristersson previously abolished permanent residency for refugees and tightened welfare rules. • The outcome determines whether Sweden will maintain its current restrictive immigration policies or return to a more welcoming approach for immigrants.

• The 18th BRICS Summit concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa praised India's leadership as the group's chair. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed 10 specific measures intended to serve as a reform roadmap for the organization. • The summit's final declaration seeks to establish a common diplomatic approach to peaceful dispute resolution among members currently affected by geopolitical tensions.

• President Donald Trump stated that the conflict between the United States and Iran could potentially end following the U.S. midterm elections in November. • Trump predicted that oil prices would tumble once the war comes to a conclusion. • A resolution to the conflict would directly impact global energy markets and the cost of oil for consumers and industries.