Brazil is facing significant defensive challenges, particularly at right-back, ahead of their World Cup opener against Morocco.
England face a central defensive problem heading into their next two World Cup qualifiers which should not matter against San Marino on Friday but could well cause worries against Montenegro next Tuesday.
'I think 70-80 percent of the goals we have conceded are from set pieces. But they are all different and we are still working on it and we defended against Manchester United brilliantly'
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is playing too many horizontal shots and throwing his wickets away, according to his formative coach Devender Sharma, who has advised him to play more vertical and more on the off-side.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew with Wesley So in the fifth round of the Super Chess Classic, part of the Grand Chess Tour, while Vincent Keymer of Germany maintained his lead.
India's new men's freestyle wrestling coach Shako Bentinidis believes Sujeet Kalkal has the potential to become an Olympic medallist but must further sharpen his technical skills. He also urged Indian coaches to continuously upgrade themselves through greater exposure to international training methods and evolving tactical trends in the sport.
Inter Milan secured their 21st Serie A title after a season marked by consistency, a strong defence, and a potent strike partnership. Their victory was confirmed with a 2-0 win against Parma, leaving them comfortably ahead of their rivals.
Chanmari FC scored twice in stoppage time to secure a 2-2 draw against Rajasthan United FC in their final I-League Championship Phase match. Rajasthan United had led 2-0, but Chanmari's late surge earned them a point.
Markets face risk of a prolonged bear phase as oil shocks and geopolitical tensions test inflation, growth and investor confidence globally, points out Debashis Basu.
'...appearing culturally coercive or administratively vindictive.' 'If it governs as a conquering force, resistance will build.'
Punjab FC showcased a dominant performance, defeating Inter Kashi 3-0 in their Indian Super League match, with goals from Samir Zeljkovic, Effiong Nsungusi Jr, and Bede Osuji.
'Vijay entered politics at a much better age compared to Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan. His fans are young and he has at least 2-3 decades ahead of him.'
'Looking at the situation purely on its Constitutional merits, the governor's conduct is defensible.' 'He is saying: You do not have a majority, so prove it. That is not an unreasonable position even if the timing and the political context make it deeply controversial.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Shikhar Dhawan believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will have enough match practice to be in top form for the 2027 World Cup, despite reduced match frequency.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Mundane as it may seem, this is in some ways a metaphor for the challenges facing the nation, argue Arvind Subramanian and Devesh Kapur in their new book, A Sixth Of Humanity.
Donald Trump claims a senior defence official urged military action against Iran, revealing escalating tensions and ongoing negotiations in the Middle East.
The Indian women's football team lost 0-2 to Kenya in the semifinal of the FIFA Series 2026. Martha Emedot and Tereza Obunya scored for Kenya.
'On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for my dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region.'
Italy's consistent failure to qualify for recent World Cups stems from a deep-seated issue in nurturing young football talent, according to 2006 World Cup winners Marco Amelia and Massimo Oddo.
The popularity of US President Donald Trump is waning with approval ratings at its lowest, according to former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, who notes that with two-thirds of Americans not approving of a continuation of the war on Iran, Trump faces the risk of being impeached.
Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Anthropic's Claude AI chatbot experienced a second outage within 24 hours, impacting users in various regions. The disruption follows a previous outage and comes amid scrutiny over the AI's capabilities and potential uses.
'The problem is not just slower growth, but also the quality of growth.'
It is said that in Chennai, fans do not watch cricket -- they analyse and debate it and even outthink the experts. Cricket here is savoured like their favourite dish -- a hot bowl of rasam.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Taking Kharg would give the US control over virtually all of Iran's oil exports and thus provide significant leverage, notes Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War. It would also put American troops within range of Iran's remaining missiles, drones, and artillery on a piece of real estate that is just eight square miles in size, and just 15 miles from the Iranian mainland.
'Despite the large number of missiles and drones we have already launched, we still possess reserves and missile cities whose doors have not yet been opened,' says Iran's Consul-General Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startup Sarvam launched two indigenous large language models (LLMs) specifically trained on Indian languages on Wednesday.
The Indian men's hockey team lost to Australia in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in their FIH Pro League match. Despite an improved performance, India couldn't secure the win, with Australia emerging victorious 5-4 in the shootout.
While methods such as generative user awareness remain among the most efficient and low-cost mechanisms for preventing cybersecurity incidents, they are becoming less effective as attacks become more sophisticated.
Israel has for more than two decades and several US presidencies worked to draw the United States into a full-scale war with Iran. Having finally achieved that, the last thing it wants is Trump declaring victory and going home, as he is prone to do. Ali Larijani was the figure most capable of handing Trump a negotiated exit with something to show for it. Without Larijani, the road to an exit gets considerably narrower. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
Barcelona missed the chance to reclaim the LaLiga summit after suffering a 2-1 derby defeat to Girona, who roared back in the second half to leave Real Madrid top of the table.
Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and an acrobatic Lamine Yamal strike powered the Catalans to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasized the need for Hindu unity, vigilance, and social harmony, advocating for family values and addressing concerns about infiltration and social divisions.
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