Iran's national football team is training in Turkey for upcoming friendlies as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup, facing heightened attention due to geopolitical tensions.
Iran's national soccer team attended visa appointments in Ankara, Turkey, applying for Canadian visas and some players also submitting applications for US entry ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile, citing concerns over the safety of its athletes.
Iran hosted a large send-off rally for its World Cup team in Tehran, despite ongoing concerns about visa issues for entry into the United States, where the team is scheduled to play its group matches.
A 44-year-old Iranian woman with a US Green Card was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government and is expected to appear in court on Monday.
FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom will meet Iranian FA officials in Istanbul to offer reassurance over Iran's participation in the World Cup, amidst concerns raised by recent geopolitical tensions and visa issues.
Sardar Azmoun, one of Iran's top football players, has been expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government, Iranian media has reported.
Kosovo is on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, a significant achievement after overcoming a sporting ban during Serbian rule in the 1990s.
Iran's men's national soccer team wore black armbands and held schoolbags as their anthem played ahead of a match in Turkey on Friday, in what a team official said was a protest over the killing of schoolgirls on the first day of the Iran war.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirms Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup despite geopolitical tensions, urging that sport remain separate from politics.
Indian archery faces poor planning and the absence of a full-time foreign coach as they prepare for the World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai, raising concerns ahead of the Asian Games.
Italian football is experiencing a significant crisis following the failure of its clubs in European competitions and the national team's continued absence from the World Cup.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has defended its decision to appoint Amelia Valverde as head coach of the women's national team and addressed the controversy surrounding team kits during the Asian Cup.
The All India Football Federation's women's committee chief, Valanka Alemao, has alleged procedural lapses by the body's technical committee led to a series of blunders during the national team's Asian Cup campaign, including ill-fitting jerseys.
The Indian men's and women's badminton teams face challenging draws in the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cups, with both teams grouped alongside defending champions China.
The AIFF defends its preparation for the AFC Women's Asian Cup despite India's group-stage exit, citing extensive overseas exposure and matches. An inquiry has been ordered into a kit controversy.
India's men's and women's badminton teams face a challenging draw alongside defending champions China in the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup, to be held in Horsens, Denmark.
The visas were granted to the five Iranian players after US President Donald Trump spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following reports that the players had requested asylum.
The proposed trade deal with the 27-nation European Union (EU) is expected to provide zero-duty access to the $95 billion European market for Indian textile and apparel manufacturers. Currently, India's share of the European market is just 6 per cent, or $5.5 billion.
President Murmu honours Indian women boxers after medal haul in Liverpool
'Pakistan wanted India out of Afghanistan to which again the Taliban told Pakistan to take a walk.' 'Six months after they came back to power in 2021 India was back in Afghanistan at the request of the Taliban.' 'The Taliban realised that India has no agenda of its own in Afghanistan.'
"Over the past 10 months, Melania and I have had the pleasure of welcoming many, many special visitors to the great White House. We've hosted dozens of incredible world leaders, members of Congress, and, along the way, a few very strange birds. But we have yet to receive any visitors quite like our magnificent guest of honour today -- Drumstick," he said.
India imports goods worth over Rs 1,200 crore from Turkey annually, including a significant share of fruits like apples.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain expressed frustration over inadequate training opportunities after crashing out in the first round of the World Boxing Championships, saying she always doesn't get the training she "truly needs".
Two-time gold medallist Nikhat Zareen has put behind the disappointment of missing out on a third World Championships medal, and is now focussed on collecting maximum ranking points by winning the top prize in the upcoming World Boxing Cup Finals.
While the women scripted history, delivering India's best-ever overseas showing, the men endured a humbling low, returning without a single medal for the first time in 12 years.
Modi, who visited Cyprus in the first leg of his three-nation visit, reiterated India's support for Cyprus's unity and for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus Question based on UN Security Council resolutions, international law, and the EU Acquis.
'I see an unjust personal attack by some players, probably due to sheer jealousy.'
Mandaviya addresses state of Indian football
Puns flew high as President Obama cracked what he referred to as his "corny-copia of dad jokes about turkeys."
Two-time Asian champion boxer Pooja Rani is contemplating a move down to the 70kg weight class as she targets a comeback for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd is estimated to have earned 724 million euros (about Rs 6,850 crore) from exporting fuel made from Russian crude oil to the US in one year, an European think tank said in a report. "From January 2024 to the end of January 2025, the US imported EUR 2.8 billion of refined oil from six refineries in India and Turkey that process Russian crude.
Ahmedabad has been finalised to organise the 2030 Commonwealth Games should India win the bid.
In his petition, Suri's lawyer said that he is being punished as his wife, who is a US citizen, is of Palestinian heritage and because the government suspects that he and his wife are against the US foreign policy towards Israel.
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, is facing deportation after US authorities accused him of "spreading Hamas propaganda" and having "close connections to a suspected terrorist." The Department of Homeland Security claims Suri has been actively promoting antisemitism on social media and is connected to a senior Hamas advisor. Suri's lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, argues that his client is being targeted due to his wife's Palestinian heritage and their opposition to US foreign policy towards Israel. The incident follows the self-deportation of another Indian student from Columbia University who was also accused of supporting Hamas.
The ad-hoc panel announced that it will host the senior national championships in Jaipur from February 2-5.
In the latest of a slew of sanctions against participating countries for fan misbehaviour, UEFA also fined the English Football Association 10,000 euros for crowd disturbances and 1,000 euros for lighting of fireworks during the Slovakia game.
The advisory was issued by the Indian embassy in Ankara on Tuesday against the backdrop of strained India-Turkey relations and Turkey's offensive against Kurdish rebels in Syria.
Ten images that prove it's a wonderfully bizarre world.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances