India finishes fourth at CWG 2026, Europe’s raging wildfires, Japan quake toll hits 28, and more: The Week in 5 Charts
India achieved a fourth-place finish at the 2026 Commonwealth Games despite a reduced sports program. The article also discusses potential U.S. visa fee hikes for international students and reports on severe wildfires across France and Spain.
Why it matters
The potential U.S. visa fee changes could significantly impact Indian student enrollment and the broader international education economy.
India overcame the absence of several of its traditional medal-winning sports to surpass expectations at the 2026 Commonwealth Games , finishing fourth with 39 medals, powered by a record-breaking boxing campaign, a historic showing in judo, and another strong performance by its para athletes.
With the Games reduced to just 10 sports, excluding wrestling, shooting, badminton and hockey, India’s chances of a top-five finish looked uncertain before the competition began.
However, the 122-member contingent returned with 13 gold, 17 silver, and nine bronze medals, underlining the country’s growing depth beyond its traditional strengths.
The U.S. might propose levying a fee of 1,00,000 dollars for issuing Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal published on Friday last week (July 31, 2026).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in