The Asian Games, Asia’s biggest multi-sport event, are held every four years under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The 20th edition, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, bringing together athletes from 45 countries and regions. More than 11,000 athletes are expected to compete across 43 sports and 71 disciplines.
The Asian Games began in New Delhi in 1951, with 11 countries participating. The event was conceived as a way to strengthen ties among Asian nations through sport and promote peace and friendship. Japan is hosting the Games for the third time, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The programme features Olympic sports such as athletics and swimming alongside popular Asian disciplines including kabaddi and sepak takraw.
The Indian men's kabaddi team clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after defeating Iran 39-35 in the final, completing a golden double alongside the Indian women's team. India trailed 17-18 at the end of the first half before collecting their composure in the second half, overturning the deficit by exploiting Iran's weaknesses and holding onto the lead. The victory marks India's fourth gold in the last five editions of the Asian Games, taking the country's total gold medal tally to four.
The Indian women's kabaddi team clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating Iran 37-34 in a thrilling final. This marks India's fourth women's kabaddi gold medal across five editions of the Asian Games, reversing their previous final defeat against Iran in 2018. The triumph adds another gold to India's tally at the games, following victories by the women's cricket team and in shooting.
Indian shooters Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet spoke exclusively after winning India's first shooting gold medal at the Asian Games in the 10-meter mixed air pistol event. Discussing their mindset during the final, Suruchi shared, "Bas mujhe apne game pe focus karna hai," while Kamaljeet explained his drive to deliver his personal best. Kamaljeet also reflected on his sporting transition, revealing that he pursued athletics during childhood but turned to shooting following an injury, which later enabled him to enter the Indian Army through the sports quota.
The News Today reports on the political controversy surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Congress party workers staged nationwide demonstrations outside State Election Commission offices, seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision and voter list modifications, facing police action and water cannons in multiple locations. The opposition prepared another notice for an impeachment motion against the CEC, while a plea was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the electoral roll revisions and seeking the reinstatement of the original Form 6. The Election Commission maintained that its ECI NET platform operates with decentralized access and cybersecurity protocols. The broadcast additionally covers women's safety concerns following harassment incidents in Bihar's Jamui, Samastipur, and Banka, alongside student protests in Delhi following assault cases near Kalkaji Mandir and Hindu College. It also examines the investigation into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Vakode, where family members began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan alleging institutional discrimination, alongside healthcare guidance on blood pressure monitoring.
India secured its second gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after the duo of Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet triumphed in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team shooting event in Japan. The pair demonstrated composure and focused shooting throughout the final round to finish at the top of the podium. This victory marks India's second gold medal at the ongoing Games, following an earlier gold medal triumph in cricket, adding to the nation's rising medal tally across sporting events.
In Tamil Nadu, authorities continue the investigation into granite baron R Veeramani over minor sexual assault allegations, conducting premises raids, tracing financial transactions, and seizing electronic devices following recent arrests. Political parties debate administrative delays in earlier probes as widespread power outages lead Chief Minister Vijay to inspect the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board headquarters. In Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party stages demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over a finance department circular regarding unbudgeted schemes. In Kerala, Chief Minister VD Satheesan responds to opposition claims concerning ministerial overseas travel and chartered flights. Additionally, the bulletin details reported procedural differences within the Election Commission over voter roll processes, campus security protests at Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the United Nations General Assembly, US President Donald Trump's UNGA speech on Iran, and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's Asian Games medal victory.
Reports indicate internal divisions within the Election Commission of India, with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally recording objections to decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu discussed ending India's 28-year medal drought in weightlifting at the Asian Games by winning a silver medal. Having previously secured Olympic, World Championship, and Commonwealth Games podium finishes, she noted that this was the only missing accolade in her career, stating, "Finally now the medal list is complete." Mirabai explained her disciplined preparation, revealing that she cuts off social media and phone access before major competitions to prevent injuries and maintain peak focus. She added that her coach has granted permission to celebrate the achievement, confirming she will enjoy pizza before turning her attention to future tournaments.
This news broadcast covers key developments in the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani in Chennai.
This special broadcast reports on key national developments, beginning with the aftermath of the death by suicide of IIT Bombay undergraduate student Sahil Wakhode. The incident, which occurred after the student was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and an artificial intelligence tool during an examination, led to an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Professor Suryanarayan Dula and his subsequent removal from an administrative dean post. The bulletin examines student protests, campus reactions, and discussions surrounding institutional protocols and student welfare across premier technical institutes. The programme also details the Special Intensive Revision of Delhi's electoral rolls, where 47.5 lakh names out of 1.45 crore voters were deleted from the draft list and over 31 lakh discrepancy notices were issued to citizens, Union ministers, and judicial figures, drawing criticism from former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa. Additionally, the report covers a mob assault on two school students in Jamui, Bihar, and highlights Suchika Tariyal winning India's first bronze medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games.
This news broadcast covers key national and international developments, beginning with the widening POCSO investigation involving granite industrialist R. Veeramani in Chennai. Following the recovery of pen drive evidence regarding the alleged sexual assault of minors in Teynampet, the Special POCSO Court rejected a closure report and directed a reinvestigation, leading to the arrest of Veeramani, Shanthi, and Mahendra Simon. The development triggered political debates between TVK and DMK representatives alongside demands for a CBI probe into earlier police handling of the case. In Karnataka, tensions escalated in the Assembly over the rendition of Vande Mataram, leading to confrontations between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP. Additionally, the Supreme Court ordered a fresh Special Investigation Team probe into the 2012 Dharmasthala Soujanya case. Internationally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed restrictions on burqas, niqabs, and classroom quotas for foreign students, while India's medal tally reached six at the Asian Games in Japan.
India's shooting contingent secured its third silver medal at the Asian Games 2026 through the men's 10-metre air rifle team event. The Indian trio comprising Rudranksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon, and Parth Mane clinched the silver medal for the country. All three of India's medals at the games so far have come from the shooting ranges, highlighting the nation's continental dominance in rifle events. This achievement follows two previous silver medals won by the women's shooting squad on the opening day of the competition, which included a medal in the women's 10-metre air rifle team event and an individual silver won by Elavenil Valarivan in the women's 10-metre air rifle individual final.
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan reflected on opening India's medal account at the Asian Games with two silver medals in the team and individual ten-meter air rifle events in an interview with India Today. She described her journey since the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games as pleasant, emphasizing the value of continuous learning. Speaking about her performance, Valarivan admitted, "I did fumble a bit in the end" and noted that she must work on her pace for the final shots. She credited the Indian shooting contingent's success to strong team confidence, mutual support, and inspiration drawn from younger athletes. Valarivan also highlighted the importance of mental focus in the sport, explaining that success relies on tuning out external distractions and concentrating fully on executing one single shot at a time.
Elavenil Valarivan credited India's Japan-style preparation after the rifle shooter helped the country secure two silver medals on the opening day of the shooting competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday.
Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan clinched the silver medal in the women's 10-metre air rifle individual event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. This marks the second silver medal for India at the Games, following the silver won earlier in the women's 10-metre air rifle team event, in which Elavenil was also a member. Leading into the final four shots of the individual contest, she narrowly missed out on the gold medal by the barest of margins. Her achievement follows in the footsteps of her mentor Gagan Narang, who secured two silver medals in both the individual and team events sixteen years ago.
India opened their medal account at the Asian Games 2026 with a silver medal in the women's 10-metre air rifle team event. The Indian trio comprising Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod combined to secure the podium finish. Both Elavenil and Sonam also qualified for the individual final of the 10-metre air rifle competition. Additionally, India confirmed a historic medal in mixed martial arts at the Games. The initial medal wins set a positive start for the Indian contingent aiming to surpass their previous tally.
This special 5ive Live news bulletin covers major national, political, technological, and environmental developments. The broadcast reports on the Supreme Court reviewing mandatory front-of-package warning labels proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for packaged foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat amid industry concerns over regulatory thresholds.
This News Today primetime special report examines major news developments across India and internationally.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek. The bilateral meeting focused on critical areas including trade, economy, defence cooperation, energy partnership, and security amid ongoing global geopolitical tensions and sanctions. Prime Minister Modi also engaged with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the summit, discussing mutual security and Indian seafarers. During discussions with President Putin, Prime Minister Modi emphasised that every day of the war sets humanity back, reiterating that countries must work towards ending hostilities. Addressing the regional security landscape and global conflicts, India maintained its consistent position prioritising dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations as the only viable way forward. Both leaders are also expected to attend the Nomad Games opening ceremony in Bishkek.
