The two-day World Blitz Championship in both the Open and Women's categories commences in Doha, on Monday, December 29.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has accepted "just about everything" the United States has demanded in ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations, particularly regarding denuclearisation. He also asserted that American forces repeatedly carried out military strikes that crippled Tehran's military infrastructure, including radar installations, and escorted commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump dismissed reports of Iran's strength, stating its military and economy were severely weakened.
India's Neeraj Chopra will face reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage in a highly anticipated men's javelin clash at the Commonwealth Games, as India aims to surpass its previous medal tally in athletics.
Indian benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, declined for a second consecutive day, primarily due to selling pressure in IT, oil & gas, and select banking shares. Concerns over the US-Iran negotiations and a sluggish monsoon further dampened market sentiment.
India's chief athletics coach Radhakrishnan Nair has confirmed that javelin ace Neeraj Chopra is in 'perfect physical shape' ahead of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, expressing strong confidence that India will surpass its previous medal tally and potentially achieve a record number of gold medals.
Athletics Federation of India's selection committee chairman Adille Sumariwalla has dismissed concerns over Neeraj Chopra's recent silver medal, stating that the "country's greatest athlete" should not be scrutinised for an occasional silver after consistently delivering gold for a decade.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are reportedly heading to Switzerland for a new round of US-Iran negotiations, following a recently announced memorandum of understanding to end hostilities in West Asia and a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced a significantly relaxed dress code for next month's World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, "allowing classic non-distressed jeans for both men and women", a year after the 'jeansgate' storm involving Magnus Carlsen at the same event.
Tenth seed Karolina Muchova snuffed out the Wimbledon hopes of friend and 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova on Sunday, winning 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in a tight battle for Czech supremacy and a place in the quarterfinals. The 32-year-old Pegula said beforehand she had expected the 18-year-old Jovic to come at her hard and so it proved, but after a scrappy first set, she won 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinal and equal her best Wimbledon run.
Though it was not formally declared at the Doha trade negotiations committee meeting today, it is privately admitted that the 2010 deadline will not be achieved, several trade envoys and senior officials told Business Standard.
Indian javelin thrower Sachin Yadav finished eighth in his Diamond League debut in Rome with a throw of 79.18m, significantly below his personal best. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the event with a historic 92.62m throw, the second longest by an Asian.
India's chief trade negotiator Rahul Khullar yesterday warned that the much-planned ministerial meeting, which the World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy wants to convene soon, can succeed only if there was a revised Doha Rules text reflecting the concerns of all the members and an immediate resolution of TRIPS-CBD issue.
Stefanos Tsitsipas' struggles continue with a first-round exit in Munich, as injuries and inconsistent form see his ranking drop to its lowest in eight years.
Iga Swiatek has hired Francisco Roig, formerly with Rafael Nadal, as her new coach to improve her performance on clay courts, starting at the Stuttgart Open.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been stranded in Qatar for over a week due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, impacting flights and travel across the region.
The Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the Formula One 2026 calendar are likely to be cancelled due to escalating Middle East tensions, with a final decision expected soon.
Indian shooters had a disappointing outing at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Tangier, with both mixed team pairs finishing far down the standings. The performance raises concerns about Asian Games selection.
Karolina Muchova defeated Victoria Mboko to reach her first Miami Open semi-final, where she will face Coco Gauff, who overcame Belinda Bencic in three sets.
Lehecka struck eight aces and converted four of eight break chances to secure the first Top 3 win of his career.
Reigning classical World champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen were among the leaders after the first five rounds on the opening day of the FIDE World Rapid Championships in Doha on Thursday.
It was a mixed day for India as several others, including G Sathiyan crashed out of the tournament.
'We have lost 70-80 per cent of our business from foreign guests.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi for winning a bronze medal at the World Blitz Championships in Doha, saying it mirrored the country's rapid strides in the sport.
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz withstood a charge from qualifier Luca Nardi for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Wednesday.
Suruchi Singh and Samrat Rana scored 479.6 -- a new World and Asian junior record -- but Uzbekistan clinched gold with a world-record 481.3 at in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Championship.
Novak Djokovic has almost fully recovered from the injury that ended his Australian Open campaign in the semi-finals.
World Blitz: Erigaisi stuns Carlsen, Abdusattorov to emerge joint leader after 11 rounds
Reigning champion Koneru Humpy displayed her trademark composure and tenacity to remain in joint lead in the women's section.
Young Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin emerged champion at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament on Friday, clinching the Rapid title just a day after the passing of his maternal grandfather, who had introduced him to the sport.
In the qualification round 21-year-old Simranpreet, who had won a silver at the World Cup in Lima earlier this year, shot 585, while Esha tallied 585 to finish fifth and fourth respectively and make the final.
Arjun Erigaisi is only the second Indian male player after the legendary Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal in the 'Open category'.
Tata Steel Chess: Anand, Niemann in joint lead after three rounds of Rapid
Humpy settles for bronze after coming close to World Rapid title; Erigaisi finishes third
Kerala teenager Krishna Goutham shares the lead with World No 1 Magnus Carlsen, top Indian exponent Arjun Erigaisi, and Vladislav Artemiev.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an 'open war' with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported.
Nobody can rightly argue that the WTO or the external world is primarily responsible for the woes of our farmers.
Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar.
The escalating conflict involving the U.S. and Israel with Iran has led to widespread disruption in the world of sports, with events postponed, travel plans thrown into chaos, and athletes seeking asylum.
Even as World Trade Organization director general Pascal Lamy has claimed that a successful Doha Round will lead to rich nations undertaking steeper tariff cuts than developing and poor nations, an analysis of the proposals shows the opposite may be true.
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have resumed peace talks in Istanbul, aiming to address cross-border terrorism and prevent further escalation. The talks follow recent clashes and a temporary ceasefire, with Pakistan demanding that Afghan soil not be used for terrorism.
