World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is chasing a rare feat in the WTA tour. On Sunday, the Polish superstar defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Italian Open to claim back-to-back WTA 1000 titles on clay. Come June 7, the 22-year-old from Warsaw can complete the Triple Crown at Roland Garros by defending the French Open title. World no. 2 Sabalenka, meanwhile, is looking forward to another final against Swiatek. "I hope, we're going to make it to the final of Roland Garros and I'll get you there," Sabalenka said after their Rome clash.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Germany's Alexander Zverev defeated Nicolas Jarry of Chile to claim the men's singles title at the Italian Open 2024 on Sunday. The straight sets (6-4, 7-5) win, his second in Rome and a sixth ATP Masters 1000 title, helped the 27-year-old climb to No. 4 in the ATP Rankings. This was also her biggest win on the tour following his ankle injury during the French Open 2022 semi-finals. Zverev will be one of the favourites at the Roland Garros, again. Jarry, meanwhile, was a first-time Masters 1000 finalist in Rome.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Find today's news in pics from India and around the world for May 20, 2024

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Despite winning their final day match against Everton 2-1, Arsenal lost the English Premier League 2023-24 title race to reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday (May 20, 2024). Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kai Havertz scored for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium, but it did not prove enough for Mikel Arteta's side, which finished two points behind eventual winners Manchester City. With 89 points from 38 games and a goal difference of 62, Arsenal are the third-best second-placed team in the history of the English Premier League.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Varanasi’s twice-elected Member of Parliament (MP), Narendra Modi, has begun to sculpt the eternal city in his own image. His passion project—a wide, swanky corridor around the Kashi Vishwanath temple—has brought increased footfalls to the town. The roads running to the fabled ghats have also undergone a makeover. Just like the ghats themselves, such as Assi. The city’s newest ghat, literally called NaMo, doubles up as a glitzy promenade and a ‘theme park’, where splash pool, inflatable castles, trampolines, and toy rides make Hinduism cool. The new developments, though, also prod us to consider their cost. Many houses and temples were destroyed to accommodate the corridor. The city’s Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, too, has begun to change. Earlier this year, the district court allowed daily aartis in the cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque. The Varanasi Nagar Nigam’s new proposals include banning the meat shops within the two-kilometre radius of the Kashi Vishwanath temple and widening the roads in a Muslim-dominated locality, Daalmandi, so that Hindu pilgrims can have easy access to the corridor. As the city gears up to vote in less than two weeks, on June 1, its fate—and narratives of development—await a new chapter.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

As voting for the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections hits the halfway mark, several public figures, from Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to actor Anil Kapoor, exercised their franchise and cast their votes in polling booths in 49 constituencies across 8 states and Union Territories.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Jurgen Klopp marked his farewell at Liverpool by chanting the name of Arne Slot, his likely successor, during a goodbye speech inside Anfield on Sunday. Wearing a red hoodie with the words “I’ll Never Walk Alone” on the back, Klopp regaled the home fans with the song “Arne Slot, la la la la la” — to the tune of “Live is Life” by Austrian band Opus. Slot, who has been coach at Dutch club Feyenoord since 2021, said on Friday that he will be the next Liverpool manager. Neither of the clubs has officially confirmed the appointment. Klopp is leaving after nearly nine years at Anfield. His last match was an emotionally charged 2-0 win over Wolverhampton.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

While Inter fans had been celebrating since last month when the Nerazzurri secured the Serie A title with five rounds remaining, the players finally got their hands on the trophy after the final home match of the season — a 1-1 draw against Lazio. The title was Inter’s 20th, earning it a coveted second star and after the match all the players wore special team shirts that had “20” and two stars on the back. They were each called out individually to walk to the stage and get their medals, with Lautaro Martinez coming out last — after coach Simone Inzaghi. The Inter captain then lifted the trophy up to cheers from a still-packed San Siro as fireworks were set off behind them. The players paraded the trophy around the edge of the field and were joined by their close friends and family, who had been waiting in an area sectioned off for them near the stage.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Defending champions Manchester City won a record fourth consecutive English Premier League title on Sunday (May 20, 2024) by defeating West Ham 3-1 on the final day of the season. City held off the challenge of second-place Arsenal, who finished with 89 points as against City's 91. A brace from Phil Foden in the first half set Pep Guardiola's team on course for their latest title, and Rodri scored the third.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024

Barcelona routed Rayo Vallecano 3-0 to secure the lucrative second place in the Spanish league on Sunday, while champion Real Madrid drew 4-4 at Villarreal with Norway striker Alexander Sorloth scoring all four goals for the hosts. There won’t be much left to fight for in the final round next weekend as Cadiz became the last team to be relegated after being held to a 0-0 draw at home against Las Palmas. Real Sociedad secured the last Europa League spot with a 2-0 win at Real Betis, which was left with a place in the Europa Conference League. Pedri scored twice and Robert Lewandowski once for Barcelona, which kept a four-point gap to Catalan rival Girona with a round to go. Girona won 3-1 at Valencia for its first-ever third place finish in the Spanish league. It had already clinched a Champions League place in advance.

BY Photo Webdesk 20 May 2024