Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president faces challenges from traditional football powers, but his strategy relies heavily on the support of smaller, emerging nations that benefit significantly from FIFA's development grants.
The Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) has strongly denied reports of violating land lease conditions for the R K Khanna Tennis Complex, asserting that all facilities comply with government norms. The association suggested that the allegations are "mala fide" and strategically timed to influence the upcoming All India Tennis Association (AITA) elections. DLTA also defended its commercial subletting practices, stating they are approved by the L&DO and are essential for generating revenue as it receives no government funding for maintenance.
Larger NGOs could no longer work with smaller ones, especially those organisations working on the ground that had no means of or expertise in raising money themselves, reveals Aakar Patel.
Leading African football administrators have publicly expressed their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, offering him crucial backing ahead of next March's presidential election, despite his recent decision to abandon a controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup revenue.
Prince Ali bin Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, revealed that FIFA paid outstanding prize money to Jordan's national team after he accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of blackmail. Prince Ali had alleged FIFA withheld funds for reaching the 2025 Arab Cup final, linking payment to his endorsement of Infantino. Despite receiving the funds, Prince Ali reiterated his refusal to endorse or vote for Infantino, highlighting ongoing concerns about FIFA's leadership and its presidential elections.
The Lok Sabha passed two Bills, including one to rename Kerala as Keralam, without debate as Opposition members continued their protests, demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence to address police excesses against student protesters and alleged Ram temple fund irregularities.
The Odisha Gymnastics Association is under investigation for allegedly using the name of its deceased president to secure funds from the state government. A complaint questions the association's governance and financial practices, including the sanctioning of funds from multiple agencies for the same event.
FIFA's proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary for the World Cup highlights the intricate balance of power in global football, where the governing body's authority is often challenged by the significant commercial strength of UEFA, particularly in Europe.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's ambitious plan to sell a 20% stake in a commercial entity managing the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors has been abandoned following widespread opposition, including a boycott threat from UEFA.
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.
A Congress spokesperson, quoted in media reports, summed up the party's thinking by saying, 'Whenever BJP is in trouble on the ground, a new 'apolitical' or 'alternative' party appears with the same ideology and the same backers.'
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Friday that the world soccer's governing body has abandoned its controversial plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors, following widespread backlash from major confederations and internal dissent.
Major bills, including those on women's reservation, delimitation, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), face an uncertain future in the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament due to persistent opposition protests and a lack of consensus.
For India, the guiding principle should remain clear: Engage Bangladesh as a sovereign nation and society rather than through the prism of any individual leader or political party, suggests Manoj Mohanka.
FIDE's decision to shortlist the All India Chess Federation for a prestigious FIDE Excellence Award has ignited a fierce debate within the Indian chess community.
Indian boxing icon Vijender Singh is planning to establish a boxing academy in his ancestral village of Kaluwas, Bhiwani, and has sought financial assistance from the Sports Ministry.
A UK police force said on Friday that its officers have been tackling serious violence, including being bitten and spat at by protesters, over days of anti-migrant clashes at a town in eastern England.
Interim All India Tennis Association (AITA) President Chintan Parikh has accused court-appointed administrator Justice (Retd.) Gita Mittal of financial exploitation and procedural bias, alleging that her actions are draining the sports body's finances and compromising its autonomy.
Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is significant because it punctures, however slightly, the perception that the Modi government never retreats under pressure. Every long-serving government eventually reaches a point where every institutional failure is identified with the leader himself. Removing the minister may have prevented that political burden from falling directly on Modi. Whether it also resolves the underlying crisis is another matter, notes Ramesh Menon.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
'After more than 12 years in power, he has been forced to retreat under public pressure. The education minister's resignation is the biggest political climbdown of his government so far.'
Viswanathan Anand will not seek re-election for a third term as Deputy President of FIDE.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 191-member Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, comprising 126 athletes and 51 officials. The Ministry has stipulated that expenses for Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Executive Committee members will not be covered by the government. Additionally, National Sports Federations are required to conduct background checks on their contingents, and a performance report must be submitted post-Games.
The Union Home Ministry has designated 23 individuals based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing, and operational planning targeting India.
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address on April 18 violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections. They are seeking an inquiry and remedial action.
On camera, youngsters gave their names, where they'd come from, where they were studying or working - and then proceeded to criticize Modi. On camera, they held up posters mocking Modi, points out Jyoti Punwani.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress has filed fresh police complaints against dissident leader Ritabrata Banerjee and his associates. The complaints accuse the rebels of illegally using the party's name, symbol, and designations to mislead workers, marking a significant escalation in the month-long internal struggle following the assembly poll defeat.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release pending central dues to West Bengal before professing his love for the state. Banerjee also criticised BJP leaders for their reaction to the 'Jai Bangla' slogan and accused the BJP of failing to act on its promise to develop the Sagar islands.
In a bid to wrest control of the Trinamool Congress, its rebel faction led by Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday elected MLA Arup Roy as chairperson, marking the sharpest challenge yet to the authority of party founder Mamata Banerjee.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has resigned as the party's West Bengal president and from all other posts, citing a loss of trust after an admonishment from Mamata Banerjee. She has since been seen meeting with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction, further deepening the organisational crisis within the TMC following its recent Assembly election defeat.
The monsoon session of Parliament will set the tone for how the Hindu community feels about what happened at the Ram Mandir. Whether emotions will be stirred within the voters of India lies solely at the oratory skills of the Congressis and Samajwadis, notes Zainab Sikander.
A caste recalibration is simmering just below the surface in UP.
A referendum 10 years ago on this day set the United Kingdom on a new path as a non-member of the European Union (EU) and the turmoil of that Brexit vote continues to play out as the country prepares for its seventh prime minister in a decade.
The Odisha Gymnastics Association secretary has apologised for using the late president's name on official letterheads, attributing it to an unintentional mistake after reports surfaced regarding invoices issued under the deceased president's name.
The internecine war within the Trinamool Congress took a new turn on Thursday with "party treasurer" Aroop Biswas writing to a bank seeking restrictions on the operation of the party's accounts, citing uncertainty over its legitimate leadership amid rebellions by MLAs and MPs.
A high drama unfolded in Hyderabad on Thursday as ministers of the Congress government arrived at the Telangana Martyrs' Memorial to engage in a public debate with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi leaders over allegations of scams and debt accumulation that both the ruling and opposition parties have raised against each other.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the central government of withholding funds from West Bengal to punish voters for supporting the TMC, while highlighting state-led initiatives to support the population.
Beijing clearly intends to extend the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor to Bangladesh as part of its larger Maritime Belt and Road Initiative to boost its Indian Ocean presence.
'The BJP's use of nationalism was a major factor in its likely victory,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
