Rediff

The Prime Volleyball League auction saw Shameemudheen become the biggest Indian buy at Rs 20 lakh, with other players like Muhammad Nihal C K, Shon T John, and Jasjodh Singh also securing significant bids. The auction also highlighted the growing importance of grassroots talent, with several U-21 players earning spots in PVL franchises, underscoring the league's commitment to nurturing future stars.

Giant-killer Ayush Shetty on Monday described his stunning win over defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi as special, but was quick to stress that the job is far from done at the ongoing BWF World Championships.

NorthEast United FC secured a thrilling 5-2 victory over Shillong Lajong in the Durand Cup semifinals, largely thanks to Alaaeddine Ajaraie's hat-trick. After trailing 1-2 at halftime, the Highlanders mounted a spectacular second-half comeback, scoring four goals to book their spot in the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive time, where they will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

World No. 4 badminton player Anders Antonsen has called for the India Open tournament to be moved from its traditional January-February slot due to severe winter pollution in New Delhi. He described the conditions as insane and ot pleasant to play in, causing a burning sensation and poor visibility. Antonsen believes the current time of year is much better for hosting such events.

Ayush Shetty stunned world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in a thrilling opening-round clash at the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi on Monday.

Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty caused a major upset on the opening day of the BWF World Championships by defeating world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also comfortably advanced to the second round in women's singles, while other Indian doubles pairs, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Hariharan Amsakarunan-MR Arjun, secured their spots in the next round.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Jamshedpur FC 9-8 in a penalty shootout after their Durand Cup quarterfinal match ended 1-1 in regulation time. Sahal Abdul Samad scored for Mohun Bagan and Devendra Murgaonkar for Jamshedpur. Mohun Bagan secured their spot in the semifinals after a dramatic sudden-death shootout.

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu commenced her 2026 Badminton World Championships journey with a commanding straight-game victory over Sophia Noble in New Delhi.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu commenced her campaign at the BWF World Championships with a dominant victory over Ireland's Sophia Noble. Sindhu, a five-time World Championships medallist, is aiming for a historic sixth medal at the event. Other Indian pairs, including Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Hariharan Amsakarunan-MR Arjun, also advanced.

Rajvardhan Tiwari and Debanshu Chakraborty secured quarterfinal victories in the Under-11 Boys category at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Kanpur. The tournament also saw thrilling five-game matches and a remarkable comeback by unseeded Inaaya in the girls' section, highlighting emerging talent.

East Bengal's women's team secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Rajshahi Stars FC of Bangladesh in their AFC Women's Champions League Preliminary Round opener, with Olivia Anokye scoring a brace and India internationals Astam Oraon and Soumya Guguloth adding to the tally.

Formula E is entering its Gen4 era with ambitious plans to close the performance gap with Formula One, aiming for near-F1 speeds on several tracks by the end of the next four-season cycle. The all-electric series anticipates Gen4 cars reaching 335 kmph with significant lap time improvements, driven by advanced technology and high efficiency. Despite manufacturer exits, co-founder Alberto Longo asserts continued interest, while CEO Jeff Dodds believes electric racing could eventually surpass F1 i

Indian golfer Diksha Dagar has dropped out of the Top 10 in the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit, now ranking 11th after missing the cut at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open. Other Indian golfers like Pranavi Urs, Avani Prashanth, and Aditi Ashok also feature in the rankings.

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has expressed his hope that Marcus Rashford will remain at the club, calling the forward a 'huge threat' and a significant asset who can improve the team.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday announced the retest for three papers of the UGC-NET June 2026 examination -- English, Commerce and Sociology -- following complaints about several errors in these papers.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a large-scale network involved in fraudulently importing South-East Asian areca nuts into India. The syndicate falsely declared the nuts as Bangladeshi origin to evade customs duty, leading to a potential revenue loss of over Rs 2,500 crore. Nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the scam.

A woman in Gorakhpur has filed an FIR against her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law, alleging domestic violence during their honeymoon in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, triggered by her menstruation. She also accused her in-laws of dowry harassment, claiming they demanded branded articles and humiliated her over dowry. The woman was allegedly thrown out of her marital home 45 days after the wedding.

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday, giving Mikel Arteta an early-season triumph while condemning new City boss Enzo Maresca to defeat in his first game in charge in the traditional curtain-raiser to the campaign.

Tamil Nadu's DMK and PMK parties have called for a thorough investigation into the alleged killing of three Tamil men by Karnataka Forest Department personnel. The incident, which occurred on August 15, has sparked protests and led to an FIR being filed against forest officials, with political leaders demanding justice and compensation for the victims' families.

Indian middle and long-distance runner Ankita Dhyani achieved a personal best time of 4:06.75s in the women's 1500m race at the Stumptown Twilight event in Portland, USA, finishing second. This performance is the fastest by an Indian this season and the fourth fastest ever, highlighting her consistent improvement and strong form.

Cristiano Ronaldo has fuelled speculation about his retirement plans after saying the upcoming year will probably be the last of his playing career.

Hyderabad Black Hawks U21 have won the inaugural Guardians Trophy, defeating hosts Goa Guardians U21 3-1 in the final. The tournament provided a crucial platform for emerging Indian volleyball talent, with individual awards and prize money distributed to top performers.

The Cockroach Janta Party on Sunday demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the alleged assault that led to the death of Janab Mafik, the father of CJP volunteer Shaik Abdul Hafeez, in West Bengal.

The Indian U20 men's football team is set to play two friendly matches against Yemen in Bengaluru as part of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. These matches follow two recent victories against Singapore and precede their travel to Tashkent for the qualifiers against Syria, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.

India played an impressive opening match at the Women's Hockey World Cup, securing a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China, with goals from Navneet Kaur and Deepika.

Indian Chain, an unfancied team, secured a dominant victory over favourites Formidables in the team event at the fifth Balarampur Chini East Zone Bridge Championship in Kolkata, also winning a significant prize purse.

A Goa-based man, Shubhang Borkar, ingeniously used ChatGPT to locate his lost footwear amidst a pile of shoes outside the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. He uploaded images of the footwear and his own shoes to the AI chatbot, which then successfully identified his pair, showcasing a practical and unusual application of artificial intelligence.

SC Delhi staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring five goals to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 in the Durand Cup quarter-finals. After conceding an early goal, Joseph Sunny's brace, along with goals from Rodriguinho, Juan Sebastian Pena, and Augustine Lalrochana, secured their place in the semifinals.

The Junior Women's National Hockey Championship saw Haryana, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh secure victories in Division A pool matches, while Uttar Pradesh and Manipur drew. Division B also commenced with Delhi and Uttarakhand winning their respective games.

Devdutt Padikkal scored his maiden Test hundred against Sri Lanka, attributing his success to a clear strategy against spin and a strong desire to convert big scores. He focused on developing specific plans for bowlers and maintaining full commitment to every shot, while also emphasising the importance of staying focused after reaching a century.

Indian golfer Pranavi Urs finished tied-38th at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies event, while England's Eleanor Givens secured her maiden Ladies European Tour title after 15 seasons and 210 starts, rallying from behind on the final day.

Dhruv Jurel on Sunday said he was not under any pressure despite failing to notch up a fifty in his last seven innings, and thanked head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for giving him confidence during the lean phase.

Indian-origin golfers faced a challenging day at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first PGA Tour playoff event. While three players are likely to advance, Sudarshan Yellamaraju is currently outside the top 50 cut-off. Scottie Scheffler leads the tournament, with Sam Burns and Im Sung-jae close behind.

Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment exams announced burning the effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi in all districts on Sunday, accusing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.

Sri Lanka fought back with seven wickets from Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha on rain-hit Day 2 of the first Test, but Devdutt Padikkal's superb 167 powered India to 460-9.

Bangladesh has requested India to create a conducive environment for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's potential visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit, linking it to their demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. This comes amidst strained relations following Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi, which Bangladesh deemed offensive, and her subsequent death sentence in absentia for crimes against humanity. India maintains that the extradition request is under examinati

Rishabh Pant's dismissal for 39 against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle has once again brought his shot selection under intense scrutiny, with fans and former cricketers criticising his inability to convert starts into bigger scores.

Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and Ayush Shetty are preparing for the BWF World Championships in New Delhi. Sen, a former bronze medallist, aims for a deep run despite an inconsistent year, while the doubles pair focuses on adapting to court conditions. Rising star Ayush Shetty faces a tough opening challenge against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, with all players expressing excitement about playing in front of a home crowd and noting improved venue conditions

The Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee to address road repairs, traffic congestion and management issues in the rapidly expanding Chakan industrial belt in Pune district, and set up a mechanism for time-bound redressal of industrial grievances.

Former Australian cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Kerry O'Keeffe praised Cameron Green for his fighting century against Bangladesh in the first Test in Darwin on Sunday, despite Australia suffering a nine-wicket defeat.

Celebrations marking India's 80th Independence Day in the New York tri-state area culminated in a world record, with more than 1,300 US flags surrounded by Indian tricolours arranged to form the number 250, in a tribute to America's semiquincentennial anniversary.

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop hailed Bangladesh's momentous achievement after their stunning nine-wicket win over Australia in the first Test in Darwin on Sunday.

Government departments are establishing Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to promptly address and counter misleading or fake content circulating on social media. These teams will monitor digital platforms, verify information, and coordinate with fact-checking units to ensure timely and accurate responses to misinformation, with some ministries already having formed their QRTs.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have lodged a formal complaint against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at the Urwa police station in Karnataka on Sunday, following a controversy during the recitation of the national song Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on Independence Day.

An Indian Navy sailor, his wife, and their two young children were discovered dead at their residence in Mumbai's Navy Nagar. Police suspect the sailor died by suicide, while his wife and children were poisoned, with investigations ongoing.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is aiming for a historic sixth World Championships medal, driven by her enduring hunger towards the game since starting her senior career in 2009.

Bangladesh achieved a historic nine-wicket victory over top-ranked Australia in the first Test in Darwin, marking their first Test win in Australia. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto credited the team's focus on pace bowling for this significant upset, highlighting a shift in mindset among young fast bowlers. Hasan Mahmud was named Player of the Match for his nine wickets, including 6-55 in the first innings.

Bangladesh have moved above India to fourth position in the ICC World Test Championship standings after securing a historic nine-wicket victory against Australia in the first Test in Darwin.

KL Rahul's patient half-century in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka highlights his evolving role as a consistent and strategic anchor for the Indian team. Despite a slower strike rate, his ability to stonewall spinners and build partnerships has been crucial, earning praise from coaches and teammates. This performance underscores his growing importance, especially after the departure of senior batters, as he aims to make a significant impact in the current Test series.

An accidental firing incident occurred at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport when a passenger's licensed pistol discharged during security screening, injuring a female security personnel and another individual. Both injured parties have been hospitalised, and legal action is being initiated.