Vistara, a Mumbai-based Indian airline, has sent an alternative aircraft and new crew to fly the stranded passengers of its Mumbai-Frankfurt flight after it was diverted to Turkey due to a bomb threat. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt at 5:30 PM local time but was delayed due to the incident. The substitute aircraft is expected to arrive at the Turkish airport at 12:25 PM and depart for Frankfurt by 2:30 PM local time.
The UEFA Nations League, the international football tournament designed to replace friendlies, has returned for its fourth edition. In Group B2, England and the Republic of Ireland are set to face each other in Dublin, while Scotland begins their campaign in League A against Portugal after a heartbreaking loss to Poland. Northern Ireland has already secured a victory in League C, defeating Luxembourg, while debutants Wales, led by new manager Craig Bellamy, face Turkey and Montenegro in Group B.
The first round of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 will kick off with an exciting match between Wales and Turkey, as the Dragons host the away team at Cardiff City Stadium. With a new coach at the helm, Wales will be eager to make a strong start and overcome their recent disappointing performances. Despite the Turkish side being slight favorites, Wales should not be underestimated after their impressive run to the Quarter-Finals of the European Championship. Keep an eye out for Wales' versatile and skilled player Johnson, who has the ability to make a difference on the field.
Deepthi Jeevanji, along with other Indian para-athletes, arrived in New Delhi after securing a bronze medal in the women's 400m T20 final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics. Jeevanji clocked 55.82s to finish behind Ukraine's Yuliia Shuliar and Turkey's Aysel Onder in a tightly contested race. This adds to India's growing medal tally, which includes a gold won by Dharambir in the men's club throw F51 final and a historic gold in para archery by Harvinder Singh. Other notable achievements include a silver and bronze in the men's javelin throw F46 event and a bronze and silver in the men's high jump T6 final.
Sheetal Devi and Sarita Kumari, two promising para archers from India, were eliminated from the individual women’s archery event at the Paris Paralympics. Sheetal was ousted in the round of 16 by silver medallist Mariana Zuniga from Chile, while Sarita lost to world record holder Oznur Girdi Cure from Turkey in the quarterfinals. Despite their early exit, both athletes have made tremendous strides in their careers and are considered strong contenders for medals at the 2024 Paralympics.
Seventeen-year-old Sheetal Devi, born without arms, has set a new national record and surpassed the world record in the women's individual compound open ranking round at the Paris Paralympics. With a total of 703 points, Devi secured the second spot, behind Oznur Girdi Cure of Turkey who set a world record of 704 points. As a top-four finisher, Devi will now proceed directly to the round of 16, where she will compete against the winner of a round of 32 match between athletes from Chile and Korea. Devi, who made headlines at the 2018 Asian Para Games by winning three medals, is headed for another groundbreaking performance in Paris.
In a thrilling competition, Sweden's Armand Duplantis set a new world record of 6.25 meters in the pole vault event at the Paris Olympics. This marks his ninth time breaking the record and makes him the first man to retain the gold medal in over 70 years. Duplantis also paid tribute to Turkey's Yusuf Dikec, who went viral for his casual silver medal win, by imitating his iconic shooting pose during his victory celebration.
The Philippines finally enters the medal tally at the Paris Olympics, thanks to the remarkable performance of gymnast Carlos Yulo. Meanwhile, Aira Villegas secures at least a bronze after defeating her opponent in the women's 50kg quarterfinals. Yulo is set to compete in the vault final, while Villegas will face Turkey's Buse Naz Cakiroglu in the semifinals for a chance at a gold medal. With more athletes like boxer Aira Villegas and hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino also competing, the Philippines has high hopes for more medals in the upcoming days.
51-year-old Yusuf Dikec made headlines at the 2024 Olympics not just for winning silver, but for his relaxed and unconventional approach to the sport. Social media went abuzz with memes of the shooter holding his pistol with one hand in his pocket and without any protective gear. Dikec's calm demeanor and unique shooting style have made him the talk of the Games, overshadowing his teammate's historic win of Turkey's first-ever shooting medal.
Amid tensions between Turkey and Israel, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a bold statement against Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz's social media post threatening him. In a speech to his party members, Erdoğan stood firm, declaring that such threats would not intimidate him or his country. He emphasized that Turkey will continue to speak the truth, undeterred by disrespectful messages from those hiding behind their keyboards.