The original document, brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last Tuesday during his Moscow visit and approved by EU foreign ministers in Brussels the next day, has already been signed by separatist leaders of the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Rohan Bopanna and Max Mirnyi beat Mikhail Youzhny and Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-4 to move into the quarterfinals of the St Petersburg Open.
Any form of entanglement with India or the US on the strategic plane will be anathema to Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa rulers, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Federer looked more relieved than overjoyed when Tiafoe's forehand found the net on match point to keep his hopes of a 20th grand slam title alive.
"I practice chess based on what I think is a priority, and what I feel like doing. I also read some chess books -- 'Saying No to Chess Principles' by Evgeny Bareev and 'Life and Games of Mikhail Tal"
Unlike United States President George W Bush, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday hailed the growth of food consumption in India and China as he sought expansion of the United Nations Security Council to include some 'most important states' to address the global food crisis. "we need to rejoice that millions of people are coming out of poverty and can afford a normal diet. Our planet is capable of feeding them," he said.
Growth of food consumption in rapidly developing India and China is named as the primary reason for the crisis, which some have dubbed as 'silent tsunami,' the former Soviet President wrote in the official Rossiskaya Gazeta daily. "This is an objective reason: we need to rejoice that millions of people are coming out of poverty and can afford normal diet. Our planet is capable of feeding them," he said.
Local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash with top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia when he downed Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 at the Marseille Open on Friday. World number three Djokovic breezed into the last four with a 6-3, 6-3 win over unheralded German Mischa Zverev.
'A breakthrough in eastern Ladakh leading to disengagement and creation of a buffer zone will obviate the need of military deployment through the winter months ahead,' notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Rafael Nadal, with his troublesome left wrist improving every day, will be eyeing more progress at the US Open on Friday when he bids for a place in the last 16.
National champion Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly edged out Russian GM Mikhail Ulibin on better tie-break score to win the seventh Parsvnath International Open chess tournament in Delhi on Monday. In the 10th and final round, overnight sole leader Ganguly settled for a quick draw with P Karthikeyan after just 15 moves to take his points tally to 8.5.
Exodus of big guns opens up bottom half of men's draw
Defending champion Serena Williams was knocked out by Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Coronavirus and the lockdown bringing you down? We assure you the next 20 images will take you to heights you have never experienced before. These are the entries to a contest called #Aerial2020 run by photo app Agora. It asked photographers around the globe to send in their best bird's-eye shots. In total, 9,018 photos were submitted, with the competition judges whittling them down to 50 finalists. Scroll down to feast your eyes on the amazing shots and the winning image is the first one.
Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy's bid for a second successive ATP title ended in disappointment after the top seeds were stunned by the Russian-German pair of Mikhail Youzhny and Mischa Zverev in the finals of AIG Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday.
Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy edged towards back-to-back titles as they advanced to the finals of the AIG Open in Tokyo.
Top seeds Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy entered the semi-finals with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Alexander Peya and Philipp Petzschner.
This week's collection of unbelievably unusual images from across the world
Indian junior team finished fourth in the Junior Davis Cup competition after losing 1-2 to Russia in the World Finals in Mexico.
Dmitry Tursunov will take on Andy Roddick in Friday's first singles of the Russia-US Davis Cup final while Mikhail Youzhny meets James Blake in the second.
Domestic wind power firm Suzlon Energy chief Tulsi Tanti, along with Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology's D P Dobhal, have made to a list of global environment champions prepared by the Time magazine.
Padmini Rout has 6.5 points, one behind the leader, Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, in the girls' section at the World Junior Chess Championships in Pune.
Andy Murray earned a tortured 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 victory over Fernando Verdasco to reach the quarter-finals, while Rafael Nadal coasted to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh at the Dubai Championships.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on Wednesday tendered the resignation of his Cabinet to President Vladimir Putin and it has been accepted, Russian new agencies reported.
Grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi came good when it mattered most and defeated Marius Monalache of Romania to emerge as the best performing Indian in the Cappelle La Grande International Chess tournament that concluded in Cappelle La Grande, France.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's mobile firm Altimo, which had recently evinced interest in Hutch-Essar, today said it was still looking for potential acquisition opportunities in India.
'As for tricky relations with China, India needs less of summitry type event management and more anticipatory analysis and management of events,' says Ambassador Jaimini Bhagwati.
Sweden defeated Russia 2-1 to win the World Team Cup for the fourth time on Saturday in a nerve-wracking final in Duesseldorf. It was the fourth time in the past eight years that Russia have lost the clay court event final while it was Sweden's first victory since 1995.
Millman, ranked 80 places above world number 14 Pouille, needed 73 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-4 victory and the best win of his career by ranking position.
The International Space Station orbits the earth 16 times in a day.
World number 16 Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus will be seen in action at the 2008 Chennai Open. His confirmation adds to an impressive list that includes Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya of Spain, and Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.
Russian World No 18 Mikhail Youzhny has confirmed his participation for the $416,000 ATP Chennai Open, to be held at the SDAT Nungambakkam stadium in January 2008.
Discussion on bilateral relations and key international issues will be high on the agenda during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's two-day visit to Islamabad beginning on Wednesday.
Mikhail Youzhny made a shock first-round exit at the World Indoor Tournament, losing to unseeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said he was overwhelmed after his win over 14th seed Mikhail Youzhny at the Australian Open.
Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova set up an explosive Australian Open quarter-final with crushing wins.
The world number one beat unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-3 in the final.
Russian fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny made a winning start to the New Year as he routed world no. 2 Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Chennai Open on Sunday.
Russian fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny overcame a mild challenge from Marin Cilic to enter his eighth career final on Saturday.
