Rowers bobbed like corks in a jacuzzi while cyclists earned something of a reprieve as a wild desert wind swept through the Asian Games on Sunday.
World number one Novak Djokovic polished off fellow Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Sharma met US trade representative Ron Kirk, agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack and deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for International Economic Affairs Michael Froman and other senior Obama Administration officials.
AIFF seeks investigation into Qatar's controversial goal against India
The run-up to the G20 meeting in Seoul, South Korea in November will be busy for members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Starting mid-September, various small group meetings will be convened in Geneva to discuss and possibly resolve the outstanding issues in the Doha Round so that the political leaders of the G20 countries can provide a road map for concluding the stalled multilateral trade negotiations and help, revive and sustain global economies.
Trade talks resumed at the World Trade Organization headquarters at Geneva on Monday, 10 days after 30 ministers broke the impasse on Doha negotiations, aimed at reaching a global pact for opening $32 trillion international commerce.
The Indian long jumper could manage only 6.43m to finish a lowly seventh at the IAAF Super Tour in Doha.
The caricature last week had triggered a huge outcry in a section of the Indian expatriate community in Doha as some objected to it, saying the 'photoshop' work was insulting to the prime minister
With global trade expected to shrink drastically in 2009, the issue of increasing protectionism is expected to come up for an intense discussion at the summit in London among the leaders of the advanced and developing economies which account for over 80 per cent of the multilateral trade.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra's Paris Games preparations will be put through a stern test when he begins his season in the first leg of the prestigious Diamond League one-day meet series against a star-studded but familiar field, in Doha on Friday.
On Monday, the chair for Doha market access negotiations for industrial goods, Ambassador Don Stephenson, washed his hands of holding further meetings on the ground that members are not engaging. However, the other chair overseeing the most difficult dossier of agriculture negotiations, Ambssador Crawford Falconer, today said he will press ahead with more consultations to further narrow gaps.
A day ahead of a World Trade Organization informal ministerial meeting at Paris, India said on Wednesday it will not accept attempts by developed countries to shift goal posts of the Doha mandate that calls for an equitable global trade deal.
The Doha round of global trade talks is facing a slow death and if trade negotiators from all the 153 member countries fail to reach a deal by the end of this year, the consequences can be disastrous for the multilateral trading system, says Jean-Pierre Lehmann, professor of International Political Economy.
Dipa Karmakar claimed a creditable fourth place in the women's vault final at the FIG Apparatus World Cup.
Politics infused the event in Doha where Belarusian swimmers competed as neutrals due to restrictions imposed on their athletes, and Russia's, stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- which Moscow called a "special military operation".
The eight former Indian Navy personnel were on October 26 given death sentence by Qatar's Court of First Instance.
India on Monday emphasised the need for resuming talks on the WTO's stalled Doha Round, stating that the negotiating text for global trade can be the staring point for further talks.
"It will become clear in the next few days whether the US and other developed countries are serious to conclude the Doha negotiations, which have dragged for seven long years," a senior commerce ministry official told PTI. India along with other members of the G-33 (a group of countries with protective interest) is apprehensive of the US exerting pressure on the negotiating group to cut the number of Special Products.
NRAI termed the disqualification of trap shooter Manavjit Singh by organisers of the Asia Olympic Qualifiers in Kuwait as 'unjust and unfair'.
"If the Doha Round does not materialise that would not be on account of the US agricultural subsidies ... major emerging economies (India and Brazil) are not coming up with enough market access, especially in non-agricultural areas such as services including financial services," US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who will be visiting India shortly said.
Indian boxers shone bright at the Doha International Tournament as Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L Devendro Singh (49kg) advanced to the final, while six others entered the semis.
World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy on Thursday faced serious charges of creating darkness at noon in the crucial Doha modalities negotiations when several trade ministers complained about their exclusion from the hard bargains he is conducting among seven members that also include India.
The fresh initiative by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma to meet ambassadors of the key members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, in a bid to revive the deadlocked Doha round of trade negotiations, is well-timed though a positive outcome may be doubtful.
Neeraj Chopra is in best physical condition to claim a medal at the Paris Games
Senior officials from G-12, including the US, EU, India and China, stepped up efforts to keep the Doha trade negotiations on rails by placating Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, which have specific concerns with trade in industrial goods. Brazil's chief trade negotiator Roberto Azevedo threatened to leave the negotiations if the special flexibilities for the four MERCOSUR Customs Union members -- Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay -- are not conceded.
Neeraj Chopra underlined his claim as the favourite with a single throw on Tuesday, launching his Olympic title defence with 89.34 metres in qualification.
Defending champion Neeraj Chopra turned on the style as he stormed into the men's Javelin Throw final of the Olympic Games with a season's best effort of 89.34m in his very first attempt in the qualification round in Paris on Tuesday.
India, Brazil and other developing countries have been asking rich nations like the US and European Union to cut farm subsidies, while resisting the pressure mounted the developed nations for reducing industrial tariffs. The Doha Round is running way behind schedule as the rich and poor nations have failed to reach a consensus on the controversial issues.
The prospects for ministers pushing through an outline deal in the so-called Doha round of trade talks hang in the balance, with the US struggling with scepticism from Congress and its business and farm lobbies.
Aiming for a breakthrough in the Doha Round of negotiations, trade ministers of the G-4 group of countries (India, the United States, Brazil and the European Union) will meet in Delhi on April 12.
Chopra had claimed the silver at this event in 2022.
India has rejected the World Trade Organisation's proposal to conclude the negotiations on the Doha Round by June-end.
The incident remains a reminder of the inherent fragilities of all geopolitical relationships.
Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent, Ramlal Thakur, confirmed that the discuss thrower would not be arriving in Doha.
Avinash Sable broke his own 3000m steeplechase national record while finishing sixth at the Diamond League meet in Paris.
His stunning monster throw of 89.34 metres in the qualification round made quite a statement, but a tough challenge awaits defending champion Neeraj Chopra as he seeks another piece of history in the Paris Olympics men's javelin throw final round in Paris on Thursday.
Reader Sarvendra Dubey sent us a picture of Jeev Milkha Singh from Doha.
A high-level expert group will provide recommendations on boosting global business through trade liberalisation.
Doha will host the 2008-2010 WTA Tour season-ending championships, the most prestigious event on the women's tennis circuit.
