Nodirbek Yakubboev’s ‘Namaste’ gesture to India’s Harika Dronavali (Photo Credit: ChessBase India)

NEW DELHI: A light and heartwarming moment grabbed attention at the Grenke Freestyle Open when Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavali extended her hand to resign, but Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev responded with a polite “Namaste” instead. Both players smiled and walked away, making it a memorable and respectful exchange.Watch:The event itself is heating up in Karlsruhe, where Vincent Keymer and Hans Niemann are leading with perfect 5/5 scores. They’re set to face off next in a crucial match. Close behind is a strong group, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, keeping the competition intense.Interestingly, Daniel Hausrath, ranked far lower globally, is surprisingly holding his own among top players. With thousands of participants and a major prize pool, the tournament is one of the biggest in the world, and upcoming rounds are expected to shake up the leaderboard.This isn’t the first time Yakubboev avoided a handshake. Earlier, during a game against R Vaishali at the Wijk Aan Zee Challengers section last year, he did the same, which led to confusion. Later, he met her again with flowers and chocolates to apologise.“I’m sorry for what had happened? It was an awkward situation for both of us. I was hurrying that day. It looks like some misunderstanding. And I want to wish good luck for the remaining games for both of you. Just want to say. I respect you and your brother both. Both of you, and all the Indian chess players,” Yakubboev said.Vaishali responded kindly: “No, it’s clearly understandable. I didn’t take it that way, so we didn’t have to feel bad. You actually apologised. It’s totally fine. You don’t have to worry about it.”Yakubboev later explained it was due to “religious reasons”, adding, “I want to explain the situation… I do not touch other women for religious reasons.” He emphasized respect, saying, “I respect Vaishali and her brother as the strongest chess players in India. If I have offended her with my behavior, I apologise,” and clarified, “I do what I need to do… It is their business what to do.”

Domestic equities are expected to remain volatile this week as investors track the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy decision, global macroeconomic cues and evolving developments in the West Asia conflict, analysts said, according to PTI.Market participants will also keep a close watch on crude oil price movements and foreign fund flows, which continue to influence sentiment.Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Ltd, said the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will be the key domestic trigger, with investors focusing on the central bank’s stance on inflation and growth.“A rate pause is near-certain consensus, the central bank walks a tightrope between crude-driven inflation risks and a four-year low Manufacturing PMI signalling a softening growth impulse. The governor’s commentary on the rate cycle trajectory and FY27 projections will be closely monitored.“Globally, the US March CPI reading will carry significant importance, as it buries residual Fed rate-cut hopes, strengthens the dollar and tightens financial conditions for emerging markets, including India,” Nair said.He added that geopolitical developments in West Asia will remain the dominant factor shaping market direction.“Indian markets return after a three-day gap and remain acutely vulnerable to weekend war developments, with crude trajectory and any credible ceasefire signal being the decisive variable that could either trigger a sharp relief rally or extend the current sell-on-rise mode,” he said.In the previous holiday-shortened week, the BSE Sensex declined 263.67 points, or 0.35%, while the NSE Nifty fell 106.5 points, or 0.46%.Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research (Wealth Management) at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said investor sentiment will remain closely linked to developments in the West Asia conflict.Brent crude prices have stayed elevated near $107 per barrel, fuelling concerns around imported inflation. Currency pressures have also intensified, with the rupee weakening sharply before recovering towards Rs 93 against the US dollar following RBI intervention, he noted.Foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows remain a key overhang, with March witnessing heavy selling of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, among the highest monthly outflows in recent years.“Investors will monitor the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes, GDP data, and initial jobless claims for further cues on growth and the policy trajectory.“Overall, markets are expected to remain volatile as geopolitical developments, crude price movements, FII flows and global macro data continue to drive sentiment,” Khemka said.Analysts said any signs of de-escalation in the West Asia conflict could ease crude prices and stabilise the currency, offering relief to markets, while further escalation may prolong risk aversion and keep pressure on foreign flows.

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PANAJI: FIFA, the governing body for world football, has told the All India Football Federation (AIFF) it has “no objection” to elections being postponed from Sept to Dec 2026 to ensure full compliance of the constitution with the new National Sports Governance Act 2025 and its related regulations.AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey was elected on Sept 2 in 2022 for a fouryear term. Elections were to be held before the end of the term, but with the National Sports Governance Act 2025 coming into force, AIFF informed the governing bodies that it needs to stay in office till later this year “to ensure uninterrupted administration of football in India”.“On Dec 22, 2025, the ministry of youth affairs and sports issued a notice recognising that the structural changes required for all national sports federations to fully align with the NSGA are foundational in nature. In order to facilitate compliance with the provisions of the NSGA, the ministry of youth affairs and sports allowed a onetime extension to national sports federations whose elections are due in this calendar year, allowing such federations to conduct their next elections by Dec 31,” AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan wrote in a letter to FIFA and AFC last month.FIFA said it has no objection and reiterated its willingness to support AIFF throughout this process and to work closely together.“We kindly ask that you keep FIFA and the AFC informed of any further steps in the amendment process of the AIFF constitution, and in particular to share with us a document outlining the key amendments and necessary steps required with tentative timelines to ensure compliance with the NSGA,” Emile Doms, associations governance services manager at FIFA, wrote to the federation last week.Meanwhile, AIFF has asked its member associations to complete adoption of amendments to their constitutional document on or before June 30, 2026.

The Reserve Bank is expected to keep the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 5.25% in its April monetary policy review, as rising inflation risks linked to the Middle East crisis cloud the outlook, according to a poll of economists cited by PTI.Geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity prices and sharp currency movements — with the rupee hitting record lows — have complicated the policy trajectory, with economists closely watching the central bank’s projections on growth, inflation and policy stance.“Given the uncertainty around crude oil prices and geopolitical developments, the RBI is likely to remain on pause in the April policy and closely monitor incoming inflation data before taking any further action,” said Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist at ICRA, PTI quoted.SBI’s chief economist Soumya Kanti Ghosh said the central bank will be cautious in communicating its decision. “India is not unscathed from the current crisis and is feeling the mercury rising. Rupee is already hovering above 93 per dollar, and crude oil is adamant above USD 100 per barrel, resulting in a jump in imported inflation across states,” he said, adding that the projected “super El Nino” will also put pressure on inflation.Dipti Deshpande, principal economist at Crisil, said under the base case scenario where inflation remains close to the MPC’s target, the central bank may look through the supply shock and keep rates unchanged.The RBI has already cut the repo rate by 1.25% since last February, but has maintained status quo in its August, October and February 2026 policy reviews.The six-member Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled to begin its April meeting on Monday, with the final decision expected on Wednesday.Economists noted that although retail inflation has eased closer to the RBI’s medium-term target of 4%, the recent spike in crude oil prices has raised concerns over second-round effects on domestic prices, especially in fuel, transport and core inflation components.Estimates suggest that every USD 10 per barrel increase in crude prices could push inflation up by as much as 0.60%. Crude prices have surged from around USD 60 per barrel to over USD 100 since the conflict began in late February. The rupee has also weakened by more than 4% during this period, adding to imported inflation pressures.“We do not expect any change in repo rate or stance this time. The tone will be cautious, and what will be eagerly awaited is the RBI’s forecast of GDP and inflation under the prevailing uncertainty,” said Bank of Baroda chief economist Madan Sabnavis.HDFC Bank principal economist Sakshi Gupta said a rate move based on short-term developments may not be prudent given ongoing volatility in global commodity markets. “The central bank would prefer to wait for clearer signals on the inflation trajectory,” she said.Economists indicated that the RBI may revisit its inflation and growth projections in the upcoming review to reflect evolving global risks, with a possibility of upward revision in inflation forecasts if crude prices remain elevated.Given the current scenario, the policy focus is expected to shift towards inflation management rather than growth support.“While domestic growth conditions remain supportive, the persistence of global uncertainties could weigh on exports and investment activity, requiring the RBI to maintain policy flexibility,” said a treasury official at a private sector bank.The central bank is also likely to retain its neutral stance, signalling flexibility amid uncertain inflation dynamics and global developments. Liquidity conditions, transmission of past rate changes, financial market stability, currency movements, capital flows and bond market dynamics are expected to remain key considerations for policymakers.

India’s television market is headed for new challenges as manufacturers face rising input costs and shifting consumer demand patterns that are beginning to affect sales momentum. Industry players are facing a sharp escalation in the cost of key components such as memory chips (RAM), alongside higher plastics prices and increased ocean freight charges. These freight pressures have been linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia. At the same time, depreciation of the rupee has added further burden to production expenses, pushing up retail prices of television sets across categories.Amid these pressures, several manufacturers have adopted different pricing strategies, with some absorbing part of the cost increases and others avoiding full pass-through to consumers in a bid to retain their share in India’s intensely competitive TV market.However, the rising price environment is beginning to influence buyer behaviour. Consumers are delaying purchases, and industry participants are reporting early indications of downtrading, where customers opt for lower screen sizes to manage budgets.“There will be a shift in the purchase of TV screen sizes. If a consumer is looking to buy a 55-inch screen size television, they might opt for a 50-inch screen size model instead. Consumers who were considering a 65-inch screen size TV are now settling for a 55-inch screen size,” said Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL) Director and CEO Avneet Singh Marwah, whose company holds brand licences for Thomson, Kodak and Blaupunkt among others.He added that pricing has moved up significantly over the past six months, noting that an entry-level 32-inch television, which had previously fallen to around Rs 9,000, is now being sold at about Rs 11,000.Despite the pressure on demand, financing options continue to provide some support to the market. Haier India President NS Satish said that instalment-based purchasing is helping maintain demand, particularly for larger screens.“Almost 50 per cent of our business happens on EMI,” he said, pointing out that even a price increase of around Rs 5,000 only adds a few extra monthly instalments. “When EMI is there, an additional hike of around Rs 5,000 is just three additional instalments,” he said.Satish noted that while some consumers are still upgrading to bigger televisions by opting for higher EMIs, a section of buyers is shifting towards smaller screen sizes due to affordability concerns. He also said companies have not fully passed on cost increases to consumers, with current pricing levels now close to pre-GST reform figures.According to Counterpoint Research, India’s television market is expected to see a slowdown in demand, with shipments projected to decline 5–6 per cent in Q1 and 3–5 per cent in Q2 of 2026. The pressure is being driven by rising RAM costs, freight disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions, and the impact of rupee depreciation on import-linked expenses.Anshika Jain, Principal Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said brands with integrated supply chains, such as Samsung, are better positioned to manage these cost pressures. She added that consumers are currently prioritising essential spending and postponing discretionary purchases like televisions.However, she ruled out a widespread downgrade trend in screen sizes, noting that while some downtrading is visible, the premium segment, especially 45 inches and above, remains steady, supported by EMI options that ease affordability.Jain also said the market could see a modest recovery during the festive season in the second half of the year, with larger screen sizes of 55 inches and above continuing to gain traction over the longer term as upgrade cycles gradually evolve.