Top Indian shuttlers have received a mixed draw for the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen getting relatively favourable starts, while Asian Championships silver medallist Ayush Shetty faces a formidable opening round against defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China.
Karolina Muchova snapped U.S. Open champion Aryna Sabalenka's 15-match win streak to shock her 7-6(5) 2-6 6-4 in the China Open quarter-finals on Friday, while Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat Mirra Andreeva 5-7 6-0 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.
India and Australia have signed significant agreements covering civil nuclear energy, maritime security, and critical minerals, reinforcing their partnership's role in ensuring a peaceful Indo-Pacific. The pacts facilitate uranium supply from Australia to India and enhance cooperation in defence, cyber, and critical technologies.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and teenager Tanvi Sharma led a strong performance by Indian women in the Australian Open Super 500 badminton tournament, both advancing to the round of 16. While Sindhu secured an easy win, Tanvi caused an upset. However, it was a disappointing day for Indian men's singles players, with all three bowing out in the opening round, though the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K progressed.
Chinese leaders, including its generals, will have to weigh whether they can win a war if they ever attack Taiwan and if at all, can they sustain the subsequent devastation, notes Rup Narayan Das.
The Indian women's hockey team secured a silver medal at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship in Muscat, losing 2-4 to China in the final. Despite the loss, their strong performance, including an 8-1 semi-final win against Kazakhstan, earned them a qualification spot for the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup. Hockey India also announced cash prizes for the team and support staff.
'The valley is around 16 km from the Nepal border, and it took just 8-10 minutes for the ice and rocks to reach the Nepal border. You can imagine how fast it must have travelled!'
Yuvraj Sandhu, competing on the DP World Tour for the first time, delivered an impressive opening round of 3-under 69 at the Turkish Airlines Open, placing him within the Top-10. Shubhankar Sharma also performed well, finishing with a 2-under 70. Sweden's Mikael Lindberg leads the tournament after a bogey-free 66.
The FIDE elections will see three Indians, including chess legend Viswanathan Anand, vying for crucial leadership positions amidst a complex electoral landscape and a high-stakes three-way presidential battle.
The Beijing summit may have reduced immediate diplomatic uncertainty, but it did not resolve the deeper structural contest between the United States and China. That contest appears likely to define the coming decade, notes Varun Arya.
Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha has advanced to her maiden BWF World Tour singles final at the Korea Masters Super 300, defeating compatriot Rakshitha Ramraj. Chaliha, returning from injury, will now face China's Han Qianxi for the title, marking a significant achievement for Indian badminton.
The Gandak river's water level in Bihar is showing a receding trend, bringing relief to low-lying areas after flash floods in Nepal caused a surge. Despite a marginal rise due to late-night rainfall in Nepal, authorities are monitoring the situation closely, with no adverse impact on embankments reported.
The Indian women's hockey team secured a spot in the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup despite finishing as runner-up in the Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship in Muscat, losing 2-4 to China in the final. The team had previously defeated Kazakhstan 8-1 in the semi-final.
PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, while HS Prannoy exited the tournament after a defeat to Loh Kean Yew.
Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's quest for a BWF title continues after she was defeated by top seed Akane Yamaguchi in the semifinals of the Australian Badminton Open. The Indian shuttler lost in straight games, marking her second semifinal exit this season and ending India's campaign in the tournament.
Heading into the final, Gauff had lost the first set in three straight matches and the former U.S. Open champion seemed determined to buck that trend, serving to love in the opening game and breaking early for a 2-0 lead.
Malvika Bansod pulled off a sensational straight-game victory over Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tanjong of Indonesia in the women's singles opening round.
The Indian women's hockey team secured a commendable fifth-place finish at the FIH World Cup by defeating Germany 3-1 in a classification match, with Navneet Kaur scoring two goals.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is aiming for a historic sixth World Championships medal, driven by her enduring "hunger towards the game" since starting her senior career in 2009.
US President Donald Trump concluded his Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing it as 'incredible' and highlighting 'fantastic trade deals' and a 'very strong' relationship between the two leaders.
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed an additional fee of USD 103,265 for all H-1B visa cap-subject applications, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. This new fee aims to recover interagency costs for immigration programmes and would be paid in addition to existing fees. The proposal is open for public comments for 30 days and has drawn criticism from immigration advocates.
India's campaign in the FIH Women's World Cup concluded after a goalless draw against Australia in their final second-round match.
Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and Ayush Shetty are preparing for the BWF World Championships in New Delhi. Sen, a former bronze medallist, aims for a deep run despite an inconsistent year, while the doubles pair focuses on adapting to court conditions. Rising star Ayush Shetty faces a tough opening challenge against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, with all players expressing excitement about playing in front of a home crowd and noting improved venue conditions.
A new report suggests China's maritime vulnerability lies in the Strait of Hormuz, not Malacca, creating strategic competition in the Indian Ocean.
Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Yuvraj Sandhu had a challenging start at the Danish Golf Championship, with Sharma likely to miss the cut after a 2-over 74. Frenchman Felix Mory set a course record with a 7-under 65 to take the lead.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has been seeded ninth in women's singles, while the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received the fifth seeding for the upcoming BWF World Championships. India has seeded entries in four out of five categories, including Lakshya Sen and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. The draw for the championships, set to be held in New Delhi from August 17-23, will take place on Wednesday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger conflicts between the two countries during wide-ranging talks on trade, Iran, and energy security.
PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, while HS Prannoy exited the tournament after a defeat to Loh Kean Yew.
The Indian athletics team will undergo an acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba near Tokyo before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. This follows an MoU between SAI and the University. Athletes are also returning from Czech Republic for a training stint and an event in Bhubaneswar, though Neeraj Chopra will not participate. The Athletics Federation of India has already submitted a list of over 72 athletes for the Games to the Indian Olympic Association.
Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty secured a dramatic comeback victory to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 tournament. However, star men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were forced to retire due to injury, while HS Prannoy exited in the first round. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde advanced in mixed doubles.
India is sending a strong contingent, including world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and R Vaishali, to the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand from September 16 to 27.
The administration has sounded a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, while stepping up the monitoring of the Gandak and other water bodies downstream of rivers in Nepal, following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring country that have killed more than 350 people and left thousands missing.
India's impressive run in the AFC Women's U17 Asian Cup concluded with a 3-0 defeat against China in the quarter-finals, ending their hopes for a historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup.
Lakshya Sen, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, faced a surprising second-round defeat to USA's Garret Tan at the BWF World Championships. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and rising star Ayush Shetty successfully advanced to the pre-quarterfinals. Other Indian pairs also saw mixed results, with some progressing and others bowing out.
Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha defeated compatriot Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj to reach her first-ever BWF World Tour final at the Korea Masters Super 300. Chaliha, returning from a knee injury, continued her impressive run, having previously upset the top seed.
The Indian women's hockey team has departed for Frankfurt, Germany, to complete its final preparations for the upcoming FIH World Cup. The team will play practice matches and train in Europe before heading to the Netherlands for the tournament, where they will face China, South Africa, and England in Pool D.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu commenced her 2026 Badminton World Championships journey with a commanding straight-game victory over Sophia Noble in New Delhi.
Fresh from their Singapore Open victory, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are set to compete in the Thailand Open Super 1000 badminton tournament, while other Indian shuttlers including PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will also participate.
Newly-crowned Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma and former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will lead India's challenge at the Korea Masters Super 300 badminton tournament. Tanvi's recent historic win and Srikanth's return to full fitness set high expectations for the Indian contingent across singles and doubles categories.
Indian women's hockey team captain Savita Punia believes their recent FIH Nations Cup triumph has instilled the confidence needed to challenge top teams and secure a podium finish at the upcoming World Cup.
