World

A study of 738 UK harbour porpoises (1990–2021) shows mercury levels rising about 1% annually, nearly doubling since the 1990s. Higher mercury burdens increased the risk of death from infectious disease, revealing persistent ocean contamination despite the Minamata Convention

Liverpool were stunned 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield, while Chelsea defeated Burnley 2-0 with goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez. Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brighton registered wins in Saturday’s Premier League fixtures

India stormed into the Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind final with a nine-wicket win over Australia in Colombo. Basanti Hansda starred with 45 runs, while Ganga Kadam and Karuna powered India’s dominant chase at P Sara Oval

Lakshya Sen reached the Australian Open Super 500 final in Sydney after defeating second seed Chou Tien Chen 17-21, 24-22, 21-16. Sen staged a strong comeback and is the lone Indian left in the tournament after other exits

Kuldeep Yadav picked three wickets as India restricted South Africa to 247/6 on the opening day of the Guwahati Test. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja struck once each, with India taking four wickets in the final session

Australia defeated England by eight wickets in the opening Ashes Test at Perth, finishing inside two days. Travis Head smashed a 69-ball century, while Mitchell Starc claimed 10 wickets as England collapsed twice, giving Australia a 1-0 series lead

At the G20 Leaders’ Meeting, PM Modi proposed three initiatives: a G20 counter-drug-terror nexus plan, a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository, and a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team, emphasizing inclusive and sustainable growth and Africa’s skills development

Pakistan defeated India ‘A’ 3-1 in the World Cup of Snooker semifinal in Muscat, with Muhammad Asif starring through brilliant breaks. Pankaj Advani won the opening frame, but Pakistan stormed back to set up a final against Hong Kong China

The FIDE World Cup 2025 semifinals will be decided in tiebreaks after both matches ended in draws. Wei Yi held Esipenko under time pressure, while Nodirbek Yakubboev and Javokhir Sindarov also settled for a cautious stalemate in Panaji

The battle over ownership of Telegraph, a fixture on Britain's media landscape since 1855, began in 2023, when the Barclay family lost control of the company in a dispute with its lenders

Brazil’s federal police arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. Bolsonaro was moved from house arrest, sparking weekend protests, while remaining a key political figure and Trump ally despite ineligibility to run

European leaders are meeting in South Africa to discuss alternatives to a US plan that Ukraine and Europe fear favours Russia. As Kyiv rejects territorial concessions, EU leaders reaffirm support, while Ukraine continues drone strikes and Russia reports widespread air-defence activity

Prime Minister Modi briefly met Italian PM Giorgia Meloni at the G20 Summit in South Africa. Their warm exchange reflected the growing friendship between India and Italy, strengthened through recent meetings, personal messages, and mutual admiration shown in public statements.

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake in Bangladesh killed 10 people and injured over 200. Sheikh Hasina expressed deep sorrow and blamed the interim government for poor response. Buildings cracked, people panicked, and several students were hurt while trying to escape

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh Friday morning, killing 10 people and injuring over 200 across Dhaka, Narsingdi, Narayanganj, and Gazipur. Buildings were damaged, and panic led to injuries from stampedes and falls. Rescue and medical teams are aiding the affected.

US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani met at the White House Friday, setting aside months of election rhetoric. They discussed crime, housing, and affordability, expressing optimism about working together for the city’s 8.5 million residents.

Rishabh Pant will captain India in the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati after Shubman Gill was ruled out with neck spasms. India, vulnerable at home, aim to restore parity as Gambhir’s coaching calls face scrutiny

Nineteen wickets fell on Day 1 of the Ashes Test in Perth, with Mitchell Starc’s 7/58 bowling England out for 172 before Ben Stokes’ 5/23 left Australia reeling at 123/9. England lead by 49 runs heading into Day 2

India U17 begin their AFC Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers against Palestine in Ahmedabad after winning the SAFF U17 Championship and playing friendlies in China. Head coach Bibiano Fernandes and captain Dallalmuon Gangte expressed confidence ahead of the four-match group stage

India ‘A’, led by Pankaj Advani, entered the quarterfinals of the World Cup of Snooker in Muscat with an unbeaten record. Advani starred with century breaks against Afghanistan, while India ‘B’ exited despite a consolation win over Oman ‘C’

K C Sebastian of Kerala and Bakula Patel of Gujarat won gold medals in the 80-plus categories at the 21st National Masters Aquatics Championship in Hyderabad. The meet saw veteran swimmers from across India excel across multiple age-group events

The FIDE World Cup 2025 semi-finals in Hyderabad ended in draws, with Wei Yi held by Andrey Esipenko and Nodirbek Yakubboev splitting points with Javokhir Sindarov. Wei’s three-pronged attack was neutralised as Esipenko forced a pawn endgame

The Sports Authority of India has approved a 45-day karate coaching camp in Lucknow under the TAGG scheme, providing Rs 1.42 crore support. The camp prepares 48 core athletes for the 2026 Asian Games, ensuring training despite NSF derecognition

India won nine gold, six silver and five bronze medals at the World Boxing Cup Finals, securing podium finishes in all 20 categories. Ajay Singh hailed the achievement as historic, with Nikhat Zareen and Preeti among the gold medallists