The 20th Asian Games have officially commenced in Nagoya with a high-tech Opening Ceremony. India's 503-member contingent is being led by Manu Bhaker and Pawan Sehrawat. Early events have seen India's women's cricket team reach the semifinals and a medal opportunity in debutant sport teqball, building on India's record performance at the previous Games.
Bhiwani boxer Sakshi Chaudhary expressed gratitude to Virat Kohli for sponsoring her through her Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning campaign.
Elena Rybakina secured an unexpected US Open title and the world number one ranking, overcoming a recent ankle injury that had threatened her participation.
Alexander Zverev has made a remarkable turnaround at the U.S. Open, progressing from early struggles to reach his second final at Flushing Meadows. After being pushed to five sets in his initial matches, he has since won four consecutive matches without dropping a set, setting the stage for a potential second Grand Slam title.
Indian Chain, an unfancied team, secured a dominant victory over favourites Formidables in the team event at the fifth Balarampur Chini East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, also winning a significant prize purse.
Matt Renshaw scored a maiden one-day international century and Nathan Ellis took five wickets to guide Australia to a 59-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first match of their three-game series in Harare. Australia posted 294-8 batting first, with Renshaw making 109. Zimbabwe, despite fighting half-centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, were bowled out for 235.
India's shooting campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games commenced with a strong performance, securing two silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle event. Elavenil Valarivan was instrumental, winning an individual silver and contributing to the team silver alongside Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod. While Valarivan narrowly missed individual gold, her performance, along with the team's, provided an encouraging start for India.
Suchika Tariyal has made history by becoming India's first Asian Games medal winner in Mixed Martial Arts, securing a bronze in the women's traditional 60kg event. The 36-year-old fighter, who hails from Haryana, expressed immense joy and dedicated her medal to her family, acknowledging the financial struggles and personal sacrifices made throughout her career. Despite initially considering retirement, her performance has inspired her to continue her professional fighting journey.
Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal faced a challenging Asian Games debut, marked by logistical issues and a medical disqualification due to a weight-cutting incident. Despite the setback, Sanyal, an Indian citizen with Singapore PR, shares his journey in MMA, his 'fighting nomad' lifestyle, and his aspirations for Indian fighters.
Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker shared her emotional experience as India's flag-bearer at the Asian Games opening ceremony, deeply missing her late coach Jaspal Rana. Rana, who passed away recently, was instrumental in her career and had a unique philosophy about attending opening ceremonies, making Bhaker's flag-bearing role particularly poignant.
The BJP has narrowly defeated the Congress in the Rajasthan urban local body elections by less than one percentage point. Independent candidates secured a significant share of votes, and NOTA outperformed several smaller parties. Prime Minister Modi lauded the BJP's performance, attributing it to public support for good governance.
Frances Tiafoe discusses his U.S. Open semi-final loss to Ben Shelton, acknowledging the need to improve his match-closing ability. Despite the defeat, he expresses pride in his season, which will see him re-enter the world's top 10, and reaffirms his goal of becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Hosts Anil Kapoor and Rohit Sharma bring their own brand of charm and humour to two new game shows that promise to make your weekends more entertaining, observes Divya Nair.
India's Davis Cup campaign ended in a 1-3 defeat against Korea, with Sumit Nagal attributing his loss to physical disadvantage against Kwon Soonwoo. Despite winning opening sets in initial singles matches, India failed to convert, leading to an insurmountable 0-2 deficit. Captain Rohit Rajpal emphasized collective responsibility and the impact of home advantage, while Nagal expressed his best effort despite the outcome.
Prachiti Nagpurkar, a former chartered accountant, has made history as the first Indian to referee a mixed martial arts (MMA) bout at the Asian Games in Nagoya. She left her lucrative profession to pursue her passion for MMA, where she also owns a gym and trains fighters. Nagpurkar advocates for women in male-dominated sports, expressing pride in her role as a female official in the cage.
Liverpool's underwhelming start to the Premier League season continued with a drab 0-0 home draw against Fulham, leaving new coach Andoni Iraola unbeaten but with his side struggling to find form.
Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam were honoured at the 72nd National Film Awards.
India women's head coach Amol Muzumdar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur view the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as crucial preparation and a 'teaser' for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where women's cricket will make its debut, aiming to carry their winning mindset into both global events.
Fresh from their record-extending Asia Cup triumph, defending champions India will begin their Asian Games title defence as overwhelming favourites against hosts Japan in the women's quarter-finals in Nagoya on Friday.
From Tumbbad to Kantara, these folklore-fuelled films prove Indian cinema has plenty of strange, spooky and spectacular myths to bring to the big screen.
India's men's and women's chess teams are set to defend their respective Chess Olympiad titles, with strong lineups featuring world champion D Gukesh and in-form R Praggnanandhaa for the men, and Koneru Humpy leading the top-seeded women's squad.
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma has given split opinions on whether pleas challenging the 2023 law for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be referred to a larger Constitution bench, citing a difference in views on the law's constitutional validity and the executive's role in selections.
Fariba Hashimi, who disguised herself as a man and faced attacks while cycling in Afghanistan, fled to Italy and now uses her Asian Games journey to inspire women.
Nawang Tsering of Ladakh won the Silk Route Ultra Marathon, crediting his prior experience at the challenging UTMB in France for his record-breaking performance. Despite experiencing pain and cramps during the 122km race, Tsering maintained his resolve, strategically allowing competitors to lead before overtaking them on steep elevations.
Due to a delay in receiving his official kit, shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor has been replaced by kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat as India's flag-bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stated that no decision has been made regarding allowing Delhi and Mumbai airport operators to own and run airlines, as the government is carefully considering the implications of relaxing cross-ownership restrictions, including potential conflicts of interest and the need for more airlines.
Champions Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Sunderland, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season and moving clear at the top. Meanwhile, title contenders Liverpool and Chelsea were held to draws against Fulham and Hull City respectively. Other notable results include Aston Villa's loss to Nottingham Forest, Ipswich's win against Crystal Palace, and Tottenham's continued struggle to score goals.
Prachiti Nagpurkar, a former chartered accountant, has made history as the first Indian to referee a mixed martial arts (MMA) bout at the Asian Games in Nagoya. She left her lucrative profession to pursue her passion for MMA, where she also owns a gym and trains fighters. Nagpurkar advocates for women in male-dominated sports, expressing pride in her role as a female official in the cage.
The Paradise is a mind-numbingly senseless, hellish cycle of violence, gore, and torture porn that makes you question if everyone involved in the film harbours some sort of bloodlust, complains Sreeju Sudhakaran
Seven former Australian cricket captains, including Greg Chappell and Steve Waugh, have urged Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to address the welfare of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Their appeal focuses on humanitarian treatment and due process, not the legal or political aspects of his case, citing concerns about his deteriorating health.
FYERS American Gambits defeated Triveni Continental Kings to retain their top position in the Global Chess League standings, ahead of Alpine APL Pipers. Other matches saw Ganges Grandmasters secure a dominant win over Continental Kings, while Mumba Masters suffered two defeats, including a loss to PBG Alaskan Knights. The Gambits, Pipers, and Grandmasters have all won four matches, with Gambits having played one more round.
Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt was a huge draw at the final and hounded for selfies throughout the US Open final.
Following her Commonwealth Games 2026 gold medal win, Indian boxer Preeti Pawar reflected on the learning experience that the event gave her ahead of the Asian Games this year and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the boxing culture in her hometown Bhiwani, known as 'Mini Cuba' for producing world-class talent and the fulfillment of her baklava promise after her medal win in Glasgow.
Ben Shelton achieved a career-defining victory by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five-set match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shelton overcame losing the first set to win in a super tiebreak, ending Alcaraz's title defence in a dramatic upset.
China's dominant table tennis team is preparing for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, bringing a mix of Olympic champions and young debutants. They are wary of the host nation Japan, particularly in the women's game, while also focusing on developing talent for the 2028 Olympics.
India's in-form pacer Mukesh Kumar has signed with Nottinghamshire to play the final two matches of the 2026 English County Championship season. This marks his first domestic stint outside Bengal, offering him a chance to test his skills in new conditions after a successful Duleep Trophy campaign.
Foreign institutional investors have withdrawn nearly $40 billion from Indian equities in the last two years and, according to Bernstein analysts, have 'little reason' to invest for the long-term, though they may 'return to trade'. The brokerage highlights challenges such as struggling large-caps, disruption from new technologies, and difficulties accessing small- and mid-caps (SMIDs) at an institutional scale.
Indian Olympic Association president P T Usha has voiced strong objections to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers' decision to forgo a conventional Athletes Village, opting instead for dispersed accommodation including a cruise ship. Usha, a former Asian Games athlete, highlighted the importance of a centralised village for athlete interaction and expressed concerns about logistical challenges and venue distances. She believes the traditional village system will endure despite this experiment and shared her excitement for India's performance and future hosting ambitions.
India's shooting campaign at the Asian Games faced a setback as Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team final, extending the country's wait for a gold medal. Despite strong qualification, the Indian pair struggled in the final, while China secured gold with a world record. This follows other near-misses for India, highlighting the intense competition and the need to convert strong starts into medals. The focus now shifts to upcoming events, including Manu Bhaker's participation.
Indian cricket fans and former players questioned India's decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan.
