For the first time, the two South Caucasus nations will host a FIFA tournament when Georgia and Armenia serve as co-hosts of the 2029 U-20 World Cup, as announced by the international soccer governing body.

On the eve of the 76th FIFA Congress, the combined proposal was approved at a FIFA Council session held in Vancouver, Canada on April 28.

Twenty-four teams compete in the championship round of the tournament, which has been held biennially since 1977.

The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) described it as an exceptional accomplishment, telling Xinhua that it demonstrates the international football community’s great trust and will provide young Armenian players and supporters the chance to experience a World Cup environment in their own nation.

The FFA president, Armen Melikbekyan, stated that holding this competition is crucial for both federations. He went on to say that he is certain that both Georgia and Armenia will host the World Cup with honor and do all they can to ensure the event stands out in the annals of FIFA’s youth tournaments.

The tournament will have a long-lasting impact on the growth of football in the area, according to Levan Kobiashvili, president of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF).

For the first time in the history of independent Georgian football, we will host a world-class competition under the auspices of FIFA, making this a truly remarkable occasion, according to Kobiashvili.

Since the first event in 1977, which Tunisia hosted under its previous name of FIFA World Youth Championship, which persisted until 2005, the competition has been held every two years. The event’s current name was adopted in 2007.

The men’s Under-20 World Cup is promoted by FIFA as the tournament of tomorrow’s superstars.

Twenty-three tournaments have been staged so far, and twelve different countries have won the championship. Brazil U20 has five championships, making it the second-most successful team behind Argentina U20, which has six.

In the previous edition of the tournament, which took place in Chile in 2025, Morocco took first place. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will co-host the following edition in 2027.

With Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited announcing his affiliation ahead of the debut of the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, Shreyas Iyer has been named the official brand ambassador for a Formula 1-supported sim racing program in India.

The program, which is organized under an agreement that gives Mumbai Falcons the right to host an official Formula 1-sanctioned sim-racing event, seeks to establish a planned national platform for upcoming esports racing talent throughout the nation. The program represents a major advance in integrating esports and motorsport into India’s larger sports environment.

Iyer is considered one of India’s most dependable players across formats and has also established a strong rapport with younger audiences outside of cricket, making him a smart option to represent the program and its goal of attracting a new generation of athletes.

“Sport has always been about identifying your advantage and maintaining the discipline necessary to take advantage of it. I didn’t need much convincing after hearing about the realistic route that Mumbai Falcons is creating to help young Indians progress from their current situation to their potential future. Iyer, Brand Ambassador for the F1 Program in India, which is headed by Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited, stated, “This is the sort of initiative I would have wanted access to growing up, and I’m proud to be part of what’s coming. ”

The FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s official game, F1 25, will be used to simulate actual circuits, formats, and team settings in order to create a realistic racing experience.

Ameet Gadhoke, Managing Director of Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited, stated that the initiative is intended to address structural deficiencies in India’s sports sector and unleash untapped potential. He went on to explain the vision behind the project.

“Our conviction that India possesses world-class sporting talent led us to establish Mumbai Falcons; Structural flaws have, nevertheless, limited the potential. Another major step in that direction is collaborating with Formula 1 to make the F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026 a reality.

Shreyas exemplifies the type of athlete we had in mind when designing this program, combining athletic prowess and discipline with genuine connection with the younger, aspirational generations that make up the emerging demographic. India has never seen anything like the platform we’re about to launch in this field. “The entire scope of this project will be disclosed shortly,” Gadhoke stated.

The MFRL app will accept registrations for the competition starting on April 30, with online qualifiers followed by simulator sessions held in cities. The national championship, which is set to take place in Mumbai in November, will mark the conclusion of the competition.

The most ambitious national initiative to date by Mumbai Falcons is using esports to provide Indian youngsters with a route into competitive racing in a global format.

The local currency plummeted to a record low on Thursday under pressure from a spike in global crude oil prices amid growing hostilities between the US and Iran, falling below the 95-per-dollar threshold.

After hitting a record low of 95. 07 in early trade, the currency fell to an intraday low of 95. 126 against the US dollar before falling further to about 95. 20 throughout the session.

The fall also comes after hawkish messages from US Federal Reserve officials, which have boosted the dollar and increased US bond rates. The central bank, headed by Jerome Powell, maintained benchmark interest rates at its most recent policy session.

So far, the rupee has lost around 5. 8% of its value in 2026.

In the meanwhile, as the US increased pressure on Iran, crude oil prices continued to rise, adding to their highest close in almost four years. Fears of ongoing supply interruptions have increased as a result of Washington’s actions to confiscate tankers with ties to Tehran and its indication that its naval blockade will not be loosened.

Brent crude prices were about $120 a barrel after rising more than 6% on Wednesday to their highest point since June 2022. It was trading at around $114. 10 per barrel on Thursday, which is a 3% increase over the previous close.

Similar to this, the price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was last recorded at $110. 28 a barrel, up about 3% from above $107.

Iranian authorities have made no indication that they are backing down, and US President Donald Trump has stated that he will not remove the naval blockade of Iran’s ports until a nuclear agreement is reached.

The negative attitude was also seen in India’s stock markets, where the Sensex and Nifty indexes fell about 1% in early trading.

In the 40th game at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday, Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Dubey combined for an amazing unbroken 77-run partnership in just 32 deliveries to lead Rajasthan Royals to an exciting six-wicket win over the Punjab Kings.

The duo made the chase appear simple despite the game being close after 14 overs and the required run rate being over 12. Ferreira and Dubey targeted the pace bowlers and made the most of the absence of the spinners.

In his comeback over, Arshdeep Singh was hit for three fours, while Marco Jansen gave up a four and a six. Demonstrating composure and excellent hitting to complete the chase and deliver Punjab Kings their first loss of the season, the pair maintained their assault on Arshdeep.

Earlier in the chase, the 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s lightning-fast start gave Rajasthan a boost. Sooryavanshi made a great impression after Yashasvi Jaiswal handed him the strike. Even though Arshdeep Singh began with two perfect yorkers, the rookie responded with 6, 4, 4, which contributed to RR’s 15-run first over. He kept up his attack on Lockie Ferguson and Jansen, hitting sixes and boundaries with little difficulty.

Before Arshdeep switched up his approach and induced him to slice a low full toss into the air, where Shreyas Iyer caught it, Sooryavanshi sped to 43 off 16 balls, blasting three fours and five sixes.

In his innings, Sooryavanshi hit 400 runs in just 167 balls, at an amazing strike rate of 238. 09, which is the quickest time any player has ever achieved 400 runs in an IPL season. After four overs, RR had scored 66/1, having previously gone over 50 runs in 3. 2 overs.

After Sooryavanshi was fired, Jaiswal seized control after having been silent at first. He got his fifty off 26 balls, scoring 4, 6, 4 against Arshdeep and 51 off 27. Nonetheless, Yuzvendra Chahal played a key role for PBKS, taking out Jaiswal before taking Riyan Parag (29). RR managed only 25 runs in the next four overs, and Dhruv Jurel (16 off 20) was also dismissed.

Chahal’s strikes, however, changed the course of the match, despite Harpreet Brar’s tight bowling, which only allowed 25 runs in his four overs. The necessary run rate was rising steadily at one point, and RR needed 100 runs in 52 balls.

In spite of this, Ferreira and Dubey were able to reverse the situation. During the final few overs, they dismantled the PBKS bowling assault by using calculated targeting of the seamers and daring hitting, which prevented any more setbacks.

PBKS had a respectable 222/4 in the earlier part of the game after choosing to bat first. Jofra Archer got off to a solid start by dismissing Priyansh Arya (29), but Prabhsimran Singh held the innings together with 59 runs off 44 balls. Iyer contributed 30 runs to a 59-run partnership off 33 balls, while Cooper Connolly, 30, provided assistance.

Marcus Stoinis’ spectacular, undefeated 62 off 22 balls was the highlight, as it helped Punjab surpass 220.

Brief scores:
Punjab Kings 222/4 in 20 overs (Marcus Stoinis 62, Prabhsmiran Singh 59; Yash Punja 2-41, Jofra Archer 1-40)
Rajasthan Royals 228/4 in 19.2 overs (Donovan Ferreira 52, Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Yuzvendra Chahal 3-36, Arshdeep Singh 1-68)

Seeking stakeholder opinions on steps to speed up last-mile digital connectivity and enhance broadband access, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a consultation document on Monday regarding the expansion of public Wi-Fi networks nationwide.

Despite the fact that data use is increasing rapidly, the report examines the current regulatory landscape and identifies major barriers limiting the rollout of public Wi-Fi, especially in rural and underserved regions.

It evaluates the present state of public Wi-Fi deployment, including infrastructure deficits and demand trends, while also analyzing international deployment models and global best practices to identify insights for India.

Clearly establishing the roles of stakeholders, such as the central and state governments, local organizations, telecom service providers (TSPs), internet service providers (ISPs), and private players, is a key component of the consultation, particularly for rollout in rural areas, cities, and busy public spaces, in order to create feasible and scalable models.

The regulator has also asked for opinions on important operational topics, including billing structures, authorization standards, user authentication methods, and smooth network roaming. These are all areas that are thought to be crucial to enhancing user experience and network interoperability.

Furthermore, the TRAI has emphasized the necessity of sustainable business models and has requested feedback on both direct and indirect revenue streams in order to guarantee the long-term viability of public Wi-Fi infrastructure.

At a time when public Wi-Fi is increasingly being viewed as a crucial facilitator of inexpensive internet access and digital inclusion, complementing mobile broadband networks, the consultation paper arrives.

Stakeholders have until May 25 to submit written feedback to the TRAI, and June 8 to submit counter-comments. The regulator’s official website has the article.

The telecom industry’s expansion was emphasized by the TRAI earlier this month. Due to significant user mobility and market competition, there were as many as 14. 63 million requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in March 2026.

With 1,282. 33 million wireless subscribers, the majority of India’s 1,330. 58 million total telephone subscribers were wireless users.

The number of broadband users, on the other hand, totaled 1,065. 88 million.

With 778. 79 million customers, urban areas still held the majority of subscribers, while rural areas had 551. 79 million.

With urban tele-density at 151. 47% vs 60. 46% in rural areas, overall tele-density (M2M cellular mobile connections) was 93. 26%.

The newly signed India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will unlock a wide range of possibilities in important sectors of society, from farmers and small firms to startups and students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, calling it a revolutionary move for inclusive growth.

According to a tweet from Prime Minister Modi on the social media platform X, the agreement is a “landmark moment” in bilateral relations, demonstrating strong trust, shared values, and expanding aspirations between the two countries.

He emphasized that the agreement’s goal is to boost trade, empower various segments of society, and hasten India’s path toward progress.

“Today is a historic day for the cooperation between India and New Zealand. Today’s signing of the India-New Zealand FTA will give our development partnership a boost like never before, and I am thrilled about it,” Prime Minister Modi said.

The Prime Minister said, “It mirrors the profound faith, shared ideals, and aspirations that unite our two countries. ”

He also emphasized New Zealand’s $20 billion investment pledge, pointing out that it will improve collaboration in agriculture, manufacturing, innovation, and technology, laying the groundwork for a more vibrant economic partnership.

Prime Minister Modi stated, “This agreement will be very beneficial for our farmers, youth, women, MSMEs, artists, entrepreneurs, students, and innovators. ”

“It will open new avenues for growth, create opportunities, and deepen our synergy across sectors,” he said.

Similarly upbeat, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon referred to the agreement as a “historic milestone” that heralds a new era in relations between the two nations.

Luxon stated that the discussions started only 13 months ago, after his trip to India, and praised the ministers and officials of both nations for coming to a thorough understanding so quickly.

“India is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies, but our trade relationship has only begun to scratch the surface of its potential. Prime Minister Modi and I were able to see that an FTA would represent a huge potential for our two nations, he said.

As the indigenously created 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu reached first criticality on April 6, India is now prepared to be the second nation, after Russia, to run a commercial-scale fast breeder reactor, according to Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday.

The minister said this reactor, which was created by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and constructed by BHAVINI, represents the beginning of the second phase of India’s three-stage nuclear power program.

It uses uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel to generate more fuel than it uses. This was stated to a workshop of legislators and members of the legislative assembly on Small Modular Reactors.

In the third phase of its nuclear plan, India is getting closer to using its enormous thorium deposits thanks to this accomplishment.

India will be the second nation in the world, after Russia, to have a commercial-scale fast breeder reactor in operation, he said.

The importance of this accomplishment, according to Dr. Singh, is that it advances India to the third phase of its nuclear plan, which is focused on utilizing its enormous thorium resources.

With India in the latter phases of building its own, Russia is now the only nation that runs commercial fast breeder reactors (FBRs). Most of these programs, particularly those in the US, the UK, France, Japan, Germany, and China, are currently closed, even though numerous countries have historically built or run experimental fast reactors.

With reference to recent progress in India’s three-stage nuclear program, Dr. Singh stated that the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor’s successful installation represents a major advance toward the second stage of the program, allowing for more effective nuclear fuel utilization and opening the door for potential use of India’s enormous thorium resources in the future.

The Minister went on to say that nuclear energy would be essential to India’s transition to clean energy and long-term sustainability objectives, especially in reaching the objective of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.

Singh emphasized the growing demand for trustworthy and uninterrupted sources of clean energy in industries like data infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, where nuclear power will be essential.

The minister also emphasized the need for programs that promote private sector involvement in increasing India’s nuclear energy capacity, such as the SHANTI Act, policy support, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). He stated that the recently established Nuclear Mission, which has a budget of Rs 20,000 crore, intends to build five SMRs by 2033.

In addition, the minister said that SMRs will be helpful for captive power production, especially in industry, densely populated areas, distant communities without grid connections, thermal plant repurposing, and more.

He said that reaching the objective of Net Zero by 2070 would depend on having a balanced energy mix that includes nuclear, renewable, and other clean energy sources.

In a one-sided encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Monday, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Delhi Capitals by nine wickets thanks to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood‘s scorching spells.

The home team was bowled out for just 75 by the right-arm pace combo’s devastating new-ball spell, before Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli scored 34 and 23 not out, respectively, to complete the chase with 81 balls to spare, securing a victory that was both convincing and quick.

Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar teamed up to take six wickets in the first four overs, generating incredible movement and bounce off the ground, which was more similar to a Test match than an IPL match, and made sure DC was outed for the season’s lowest total.

DC had no response to Hazlewood’s (4-12) and Bhuvneshwar’s (3-5) outside edges, and the batters were constantly pounded. As no other DC batter scored above 20 and fell like ninepins, Impact Player Abishek Porel’s 30 off 33 was the only positive in an otherwise terrible batting performance.

According to CricViz, DC is only the second club in IPL history to lose six wickets during the powerplay in a game that was not shortened by rain. The only prior incident occurred in IPL 2011, when the Kochi Tuskers Kerala lost to the Deccan Chargers with a score of 29/6. Both of these events occurred on the same day, April 27, by chance.

When Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s probing away-swinging delivery enticed an edge off debutante Sahil Parakh and rolled harmlessly to short third man, not many people anticipated havoc coming to DC. However, on the very next delivery, Bhuvneshwar unleashed a deadly accurate yorker from over the wicket, which swung in late and narrowly missed Parakh’s bat, resulting in a two-ball duck for the batsman.

With two massive hits in as many pitches, Hazlewood increased the pace of the slaughter. Sameer Rizvi, who made his debut, was lured into chasing one around the off-stump, and the keeper caught the outside edge of a wide drive. Meanwhile, KL Rahul was physically constrained by a harsh short ball that gave him no room to pull, and the top edge landed securely in Jitesh Sharma’s gloves.

By striking Hazlewood’s hat-trick delivery for four, Tristan Stubbs briefly raised DC’s spirits. However, the respite was brief since Bhuvneshwar, relentless and precise, discovered Stubbs’ outside edge with yet another late swing delivery, which first slip securely pouched. With Jitesh making another catch, he next pulled out the outside edge of captain Axar Patel.

Hazlewood then finished DC’s agony by bowling a quick short ball that confused Nitish Rana, and the gully caught an ugly glove edge, bringing DC to 9/6 in four overs and leaving them in ruins. The fact that Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar were the first pair of bowlers in IPL history to each take three wickets during the power play in the same game demonstrated how utterly they destroyed DC.

Delhi’s 13/6 became the new mark for the lowest powerplay score in IPL history when the six-over period concluded. Afterward, Abishek Porel and David Miller struck back by stealing boundaries off Romario Shepherd and Rasikh Salam Dar in order to make a little comeback.

However, Rasikh broke the short 35-run standoff in 31 balls when Miller, trying to lift a fast short ball across the line, toed it to an appreciative Jitesh. In the midst of a mild dust storm swirling around the ground, Kyle Jamieson saved DC from the further disgrace of having the lowest total in IPL history by expertly pulling Shepherd over mid-wicket for six to bring them to their fifty in 10. 2 overs.

Krunal Pandya ended Jamieson’s defiance with a nice length delivery that landed on the off-stump and caught him plumb lbw, even as Suyash Sharma harassed Porel. Hazlewood aptly brought an end to DC’s misery by hitting Porel’s middle stump with a flawless yorker, which occurred after Suyash bowled Kuldeep Yadav with a devastating leg-break.

With Impact Player Jacob Bethell flicking him for four, Virat Kohli, who was surrounded by the familiar chants of Kohli, Kohli around the ground, got off the mark by lofting Dushmantha Chameera down the ground for a wonderful boundary, beginning RCB’s chase of a paltry 76.

Bethell then switched gears with amazing speed, slamming Jamieson for a pair of sixes over the mid-wicket boundary, one of which was a massive 104-meter shot. To his credit, Jamieson retaliated when Bethell mistimed a loft, and in what was the catch of the night, T Natarajan, sprinting back from mid-on, bowled him out for a fantastic 20 off 11 balls by taking it cleanly over his shoulder and without hitting the rope.

Devdutt Padikkal started by hitting Chameera over long-off for six, and then he blasted Jamieson over the square-leg boundary for another maximum as RCB doubled DC’s power-play score in three overs. Padikkal scored RCB’s fifty in 4. 3 overs with a one-legged pulled four through mid-wicket, before carting him through fine leg for another boundary, and then produced the shot of the night, giving himself room to loft over mid-off for six.

Following the conclusion of the Power-play with RCB at 65/1, Kohli completed the simple chase in style, sending Natarajan six over the ground before going on the backfoot and pulling the ball over deep mid-wicket for another maximum to secure a resounding victory for the defending champions.

Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 75 all out in 16.3 overs (Abishek Porel 30, David Miller 19; Josh Hazlewood 4-12, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-5)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 77/1 in 6.3 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 34 not out, Virat Kohli 23 not out; Kyle Jamieson 1-42)

NITI Aayog has established itself as a key pillar of India’s policymaking framework, promoting cooperative federalism, advancing reforms, and improving ‘Ease of Living,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

Prime Minister said in his message congratulating Ashok Kumar Lahiri on becoming the Vice Chairman and other full-time members that it is a vibrant forum for long-term strategic thinking and innovation across industries.

The government has restructured the NITI Aayog. Congratulations to Ashok Kumar Lahiri on his appointment as Vice Chairman.

In a message on social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi stated, “I also want to congratulate Rajiv Gauba, Prof. K. V. Raju, Prof. Gobardhan Das, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, and Dr. M. Srinivas for joining the NITI Aayog as Full Time Members. ”

“I wish them all a productive and impactful term ahead,” the Prime Minister continued.

Prime Minister Modi felicitated Lahiri upon his appointment as Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.

“His extensive expertise in economics and public policy will advance India’s reforms and progress toward becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat. I am certain that his initiatives will further increase the dynamism of policymaking in our nation. The prime minister added, “I send him my best wishes for a successful term.”

Lahiri has a notable career in economics and is now the representative for Balurghat in the Bengal Assembly, but he is not running in the present elections.

He has worked at the Delhi School of Economics, the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Bandhan Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and served as the 12th Chief Economic Advisor to the Indian government.

His international experience includes stints at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Lahiri, a Presidency University, Kolkata alumnus, is well-known for his scholarly and political contributions.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will lay the cornerstone for the Google AI Data Center in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, April 28.

Google is reportedly going to invest $15 billion in the initiative, which would be one of the biggest foreign direct investments in Indian history, according to authorities.

With a combined capacity of one gigawatt, the data center will be built on approximately 600 acres in the Tharluwada, Adavivaram, and Rambilli areas.

According to a formal release on Sunday, the AI Data Center is expected to be a turning point for India’s technology industry and usher in a new age for Andhra Pradesh’s technological landscape.

With this cutting-edge infrastructure, Visakhapatnam is set to establish itself as a vital AI gateway for Asia and establish a long-lasting presence in the world of technology. Visakhapatnam city will be placed among the top technology hubs in the world by this prestigious project, it stated.

Visakhapatnam will soon have direct digital connections to a number of nations thanks to the forthcoming subsea cable connectivity system. The data center will have sophisticated AI cloud infrastructure as well as significant data storage capacity.

Due to its proximity to the coast, Visakhapatnam is a perfect location for an international submarine cable landing station.

The project involves partnerships with businesses like Airtel Nxtra and AdaniConneX. According to the statement, the government intends to establish a multi-gigawatt digital center throughout the state with a total capacity of 6. 5 Gigawatts.

Aside from infrastructure, the Google Data Center is anticipated to provide a large number of jobs. In fields like cloud operations, maintenance, cybersecurity, cloud architecture, data science, and artificial intelligence, thousands of jobs are likely to be generated. The state’s economy will be boosted by the income produced by data centers.

The initiative is also anticipated to draw investments in related industries like electricity systems, cooling technology, server manufacturing, and networking, which will aid in the development of a strong AI environment in Andhra Pradesh.

Visakhapatnam is anticipated to become a significant technology center in Asia thanks to Google AI cloud services. The city is also a popular choice for firms that use artificial intelligence. The area is anticipated to house research facilities, IT startups, cloud enterprises, and semiconductor businesses.

Google and other tech businesses have proposed building data centers, and the administration is taking steps to guarantee that they have access to a green energy supply.

The release also stated that the city’s worldwide attractiveness will be enhanced by its world-class infrastructure, such as the forthcoming Bhogapuram International Airport, and by global firms concentrating on Visakhapatnam.