The United States has announced it will not renew sanctions exemptions for the purchase of Russian and Iranian oil, ending a 30-day waiver that allowed some countries, including India, to continue importing Russian oil despite sanctions related to the Ukraine war.
At just 11 years old, Bodhana Sivanandan has become Great Britain's No 1 Women's Chess player dethroning four-time British Women's Champion Lan Yao.
With D Gukesh and R Vaishali set to play world title matches, experts urge India to bid for hosting rights, calling it a major boost for the sport.
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.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali remains in contention at the Women's Candidates Chess tournament after drawing with Zhongyi Tan, while Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan won the open section. Key final round matchups are set to determine the final standings.
The White House on Thursday stated that United States President Donald Trump is 'extremely frustrated' with both Russia and Ukraine over the slow progress toward ending the ongoing war and is unwilling to engage in 'meetings just for the sake of meeting'.
China has criticised the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a dangerous and irresponsible move, and urged Washington and Tehran to honour the ceasefire. Beijing also denied aiding Iran militarily and threatened countermeasures if the US imposes tariffs.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasised the need for India to develop a robust drone manufacturing ecosystem, drawing lessons from recent global conflicts and highlighting the importance of self-reliance in drone technology.
"The world might face a food crisis if the war continued till the end of April, as it could have a dramatic impact on planting in Europe and North America," said Matt Simpson, CEO of Brazil Potash.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali faces a tough challenge in the Candidates chess tournament after losing her lead, while Javokhir Sindarov dominates the open section.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali's loss to China's Jiner Zhu has thrown the FIDE Women's Candidates tournament wide open.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali's loss to China's Jiner Zhu has thrown the Women's Candidates Tournament wide open, while Javokhir Sindarov is closing in on a dominant victory in the open section.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan leads the Candidates chess tournament after defeating Fabiano Caruana, while R Praggnanandhaa drew his game against Matthias Bluebaum. In the women's event, Anna Muzychuk joined Bibisara Assaubayeva in the lead.
Ukraine's Maksym Murashkovskyi said ChatGPT played a key role in his training after he won silver at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics biathlon event.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina in the 11th round of the Women's Candidates tournament, boosting her chances significantly.
Indian Grandmaster R Vaishali defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina in the 11th round of the Women's Candidates tournament, extending her lead in the competition. Her brother, R Praggnanandhaa, struggled in the open section.
Security agencies in India are investigating a potential conspiracy involving arrested foreigners, including a US mercenary, who allegedly aimed to exploit Indian ethnic groups to undermine national security. The investigation involves data extraction from mobile phones and scrutiny of social media accounts to uncover the full extent of the plot and identify all involved parties.
'In investing, poor sentiment is always a good vintage to build a portfolio.'
Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will replace Koneru Humpy in the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after Humpy withdrew due to safety concerns related to the region's proximity to the West Asia conflict.
R Vaishali kept Indian hopes alive by defeating Divya Deshmukh in the ninth round of the Women's Candidates Chess Tournament, while Anish Giri's victory impacted Fabiana Caruana's chances in the open section.
State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) are reportedly incurring losses of Rs 18 per litre on petrol and Rs 35 per litre on diesel, as they continue to absorb rising crude oil costs without increasing retail prices. This situation is leading to expectations of a fuel price hike after upcoming state elections.
The NIA alleged that the accused were in touch with ethnic armed groups in Myanmar and supported proscribed Indian insurgent outfits by supplying weapons, drones and providing training.
The modern war is about quality over quantity, points out Mihir S Sharma.
R Praggnanandhaa drew with Fabiano Caruana, while his sister R Vaishali won against Tan Zhongyi in the seventh round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 tournament.
R. Vaishali leads the Women's Candidates Tournament, while Javokhir Sindarov dominates the Open section, nearing a shot at the World Championship.
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.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
A Delhi court has granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) 11-day custody of several foreign nationals accused of training Myanmar-based Ethnic Armed Groups (EAGs) known to support insurgent groups in India.
R Praggnanandhaa drew with Andrey Esipenko, while Javokhir Sindarov defeated Hikaru Nakamura to maintain his lead in the Candidates Tournament. In the women's event, Divya Deshmukh drew, and R Vaishali faced a difficult position.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faced a setback at the Candidates chess tournament, while Javokhir Sindarov increased his lead.
The official, speaking as US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, said, "The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal."
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a swift end to the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, emphasising the importance of dialogue and diplomacy. He made the remarks after talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, where they also agreed to a strategic partnership in digitalisation and sustainability.
In the women's section, World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh turned the tables on overnight leader Anna Muzychuk to jump into joint lead with four others.
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.
Indian-origin chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, has become England's top-rated female player, surpassing established champions and breaking into the world's top 100.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasised the need for India to develop a robust drone manufacturing ecosystem to enhance its defence capabilities, drawing lessons from recent global conflicts.
United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his special envoy Steve Witkoff would be visiting Moscow next week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner might going with Witkoff too.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa faces Anish Giri in a crucial Candidates Tournament round, seeking a vital win to improve his standings. The tournament also features strong performances from Javokhir Sindarov and Anna Muzychuk in the women's event.
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