'You cannot stop these models from getting better. There is competitive and business pressure and if the US stops then maybe China will go ahead.'
Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar has called for an independent review of the National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) coaching appointments, citing concerns about transparency, eligibility criteria, and potential conflicts of interest. The NRAI, however, asserts that appointments are merit-based and views Kumar's concerns as 'sour grapes' after his own non-selection.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams are set to compete at the Asian Games in Kakamigahara, Japan, with the primary goal of winning gold to secure direct qualification for the Paris Olympics. The men's team aims to defend its title and overcome recent World Cup disappointment, while the women's team, buoyed by a strong World Cup performance, seeks only its second Asian Games gold. Both teams face tough competition, with the men needing to prove their dominance against regional rivals and the women confronting a strong Chinese side.
Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty is actively working to transform his 'natural laid-back approach' into a more aggressive playing style as he prepares for his World Championship debut, where he faces current world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China in his opening match.
Hockey India has issued a show-cause notice to its Director General, Cdr R K Srivastava, immediately stripping him of all powers. The notice lists eight charges, prominently featuring the controversial change in the Indian team's World Cup jersey and Srivastava's unauthorised travel to the event despite directives to focus on the Hockey India League. He has four weeks to respond, failing which further action will be taken.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a deepening crisis after his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup was abandoned, leading to public distancing from influential executives and calls for his removal from office.
French aerospace and defence major Thales views India as a highly dynamic market for avionics, with significant growth potential as Indian airlines expand their fleets. The company, which has a substantial presence and MRO facilities in India, is also exploring opportunities to replicate India-developed solutions globally and sees increased use of AI in development.
Waiting Hai exposes Indian Railways' tatkal ticket scams with .
Quimcy Dsouza has taken an unusual route to the Asian Games, moving from athletics and football to becoming one of India's leading Teqball players.
Volkswagen, a long-standing but minor player in India's fiercely competitive automotive sector, is now exploring a strategic partnership with the JSW group, aiming to revitalise its market presence, enhance profitability, and potentially establish India as a key export hub for electric vehicles.
Chess legend Magnus Carlsen discusses his early struggles with the game, his competitive nature leading to a viral moment, and how fatherhood has impacted his professional life.
Amrit Mathur, Commissioner of PGTI's 72 The League, lauded the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar as the world's most stunning and spectacular.
Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings have announced former India pace bowler Zaheer Khan as their new head coach for the IPL 2027 season, replacing long-serving Stephen Fleming.
New head coach Zaheer Khan's biggest challenge at CSK will be to decide on the future of talisman Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who incidentally recommended him for the top post.
Dr Bhairavi Joshi, a member of the Cycling Federation of India's Development Committee, has been awarded the United Nations World Bicycle Day Founder Leszek Sibilski's Certificate of Excellence for her significant efforts in promoting cycling across India through various community initiatives.
India has once again raised alarms over the escalation in the security situation in the Red Sea area and strongly condemned Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabian territory, "including on civilians and economic assets."
Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Wales have questioned Infantino's reform pledge, arguing that FIFA needs deeper governance changes, stronger accountability and broader leadership reforms to restore trust.
Eighteen-year-old Indian shooter Parth Mane secured a silver medal in the men's 10m air rifle team event at the Asian Games, marking his senior continental debut.
India has significantly improved its position as a global foreign direct investment (FDI) destination, climbing two places to 11th in 2025, with inflows surging by nearly 44 per cent to $38.89 billion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) World Investment Report 2026.
Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Mizoram's first female Olympian and Asian Games medallist, is now India's offensive lynchpin, aiming for a first Asian Games hockey gold since 1982, after overcoming initial family resistance and training on dirt pitches.
Despite a population of 1.45 billion, India's football team is ranked a lowly 138th in the world and failed to qualify for next year's Asian Cup, highlighting deep-rooted systemic issues and a failure to implement reforms that keep the World Cup dream distant for fans.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) have jointly criticised the International Cricket Council's (ICC) significant structural changes to the Men's 50-over World Cup qualification pathway, calling it a 'setback to Associate Member cricket' and expressing disappointment over the lack of consultation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday was celebrated with extensive programmes in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Events included special prayers by 76 young priests, a milk 'abhishek' of the Ganga, and a significant 'Seva Sankalp' motorcycle journey from Varanasi to Vadnagar, Modi's birthplace, involving 500 participants. Several prominent political figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, participated in the celebrations, offering prayers for Modi's health and India's progress.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has accelerated India's preparations for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup by appointing Bibiano Fernandes as head coach and Ranjit Bajaj as team manager. The tournament, scheduled for October in Azerbaijan, will feature an 8vs8 format with direct entry for all FIFA member associations. The AIFF also addressed other matters, including the Santosh Trophy format and budget approvals.
Climate scientist Tapio Schneider advocates for expanding early warning systems beyond rainfall events to include other disaster triggers like flash floods, citing the recent Nepal floods. He highlights the inevitability of 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming and discusses the role of advanced climate modelling and AI in improving predictions and research, particularly for regions like India.
The fifth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is scheduled from January 14 to February 7, 2027, with the player auction slated for October 28 in Kochi, the BCCI confirmed.
During the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting, outlining a four-point approach for the steady and long-term development of China-India relations. The leaders stressed strategic understanding, win-win cooperation, mutual respect, and inclusive multilateral engagement, reaffirming their commitment to resolving the boundary question and addressing economic concerns. They also discussed global challenges and strengthening people-to-people ties.
India and China are in what experts call 'a cooperation-versus-competition situation'.
Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has initiated the 'PV Sindhu Centre for Sports Excellence' in Visakhapatnam, with Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh performing the groundbreaking. This integrated sports and education ecosystem aims to provide world-class coaching, sports science, and academic support across seven disciplines, establishing Visakhapatnam as a national sports hub.
Cricket giants India are set to play a historic one-off T20 International against Japan in Sano, a match seen as a pivotal moment for the sport's growth in the baseball-dominated country, coinciding with celebrations of 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar has urged the 30-member Indian shooting contingent for the Asian Games to prioritise individual medals over team events. He also highlighted the need for significant improvements in coaching, advocating for more former international medallists in the system, and stressed the importance of better grassroots talent identification, drawing comparisons with China. Kumar also commented on the void left by coach Jaspal Rana's death and questioned recent selection policies.
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.
Infantino appears to have enough global support to secure re-election, forcing opponents without a credible challenger to consider shifting from defeating him to curbing presidential powers.
Japan inaugurated the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya with a vibrant opening ceremony that seamlessly blended advanced technology and rich cultural traditions, despite earlier organisational challenges.
NVIDIA has acquired AI startup Hugging Face for USD 12.9 billion, aiming to scale its platform, strengthen infrastructure, and expand access to AI for developers and institutions worldwide while maintaining an open ecosystem.
'With this deal, we may see even 50 launches a year within the next few years.'
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT,M) have developed a novel "morphing skin" concept for aircraft wings, inspired by bird flight. This adaptive external skin dynamically reshapes in real time to prevent aerodynamic stalls, enhance lift, reduce drag, and significantly improve aircraft safety and fuel efficiency. The technology holds promise for commercial aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and defence applications.
India has expressed serious concern over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, stating that such actions threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the issue with his Saudi counterpart. India also condemned the targeting of commercial shipping after an Indian national went missing following an attack on a Panama-flagged ship off Oman.
Putin has issued a stark warning to European nations, declaring that any deployment of troops to Ukraine would be met with 'war with Russia'.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel addressed AI Manthan 2.0, advocating for the comprehensive integration of Artificial Intelligence across all university subjects rather than as a standalone course. She urged universities to develop clear, time-bound AI roadmaps covering education, research, healthcare, and agriculture, emphasising indigenous AI development, employment creation, and the importance of "Safe and Trusted AI." The event also saw the formation of an AI Policy Advisory Group and an AI Implementation Group to drive these initiatives.
