Images
July 31, 2014
I will write my own book of truth: Sonia
With former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh creating a row with his comments about Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President on Thursday said that she will come out with her own book, which will reveal the "truth".
Women in Turkey have the last LAUGH
Twitter broke out in a collective grin as hundreds of women posted pictures of themselves laughing. But, they weren't happy. They were smiling in defiance of the deputy Prime Minister, Bülent Arinç, who in a speech to mark Eid al-Fitr on Monday said women should not laugh in public.
It's pouring good news in Mumbai
Good news has poured in for Mumbaikars. The continuous downpour since the weekend has caused Modak Sagar dam to overflow. This has prompted the city's civic body officials to reduce water cuts, imposed from July 2, to 10 per cent from 20 per cent.
Yucky or Yummy? WEIRDEST foods from around the globe
We present some of the most extreme foods from across the globe. Bon app?tit!
How Rihanna, Madonna got caught in Gaza war
Rediff.com takes a look at famous names, who tweeted a controversy or two.
9 interesting facts about India's new Army Chief
Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, whose appointment as army chief had kicked up a row, will on Thursday take over as the next head of the 1.3 million strong force succeeding Gen Bikram Singh who is retiring.
Pix: Pune landslide toll rises to 41, hopes of finding survivors fade
Rescue workers waged a grim battle with a hostile weather and difficult terrain, looking for signs of life under the monstrous heap of mud and stones on Thursday at the landslide-hit Malin village, where 41 bodies have been pulled out till now amid fading hopes of more survivors.
July 30, 2014
Women should not laugh loudly? BOO this politician
Turkish Deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc, one of the co-founders of the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development party, sparked an outcry on Tuesday after declaring that women should not laugh loudly in public.
Now MPs complain about Parliament canteen food
Quality of food served in Parliament canteen on Wednesday came under attack in Rajya Sabha as a member drew attention of the government towards MPs falling sick after consuming it.
Zhou Yongkang: China's fallen security tsar 
China has put its former security chief Zhou Yongkang under investigation. One of the nine most senior politicians in China till 2012, he is now faces corruption charges.
17 dead in Pune landslide, NDRF mounts rescue effort
At least 17 people were killed when torrential rains triggered a landslide at a village in Maharashtra's Pune district on Wednesday, burying over 160 as 400 NDRF personnel looked for survivors and bodies in the mud-and-rock debris battling inclement weather.
READERS' CLICK: Fun and fury of monsoon 
The non-stop downpour washed the weekend and Tuesday's Eid holiday out. Waterlogged roads kept most people in indoors. But some of our readers got adventurous and stepped out to capture the monsoon mania.
Israel shells another UN school in Gaza! Toll hits 1,283
At least 32 more people were killed early in Gaza in Israeli bombardment, a day after over 100 Palestinians died in one of the bloodiest days in the three-week conflict as deadly fighting raged unabated between Israel and Hamas and the death toll reached 1,262.
PHOTOS: It's an odd world out there!
These 12 images show that we truly live in a bizarre world.
Intolerance, the new normal in the Modi yug
What emboldens the Singhals, the Togadias and other Hindutva activists to raise the threshold of hate speech is perhaps the knowledge that with Narendra Modi at the helm, they are safe, says Bharat Bhushan.
5 crazy rules in some Tamil Nadu engineering collegesOff late, some engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu have been taking 'discipline' too seriously!
July 29, 2014
Joy and devotion mark Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations
Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan, is being celebrated across the country on Tuesday. Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset and it culminates in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
July 28, 2014
PHOTOS: After riots, eerie calm in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur 
With the situation improving a bit in violence-hit Saharanpur, curfew was relaxed for a few hours to allow locals to buy essentials.
8 stories that your newspaper missed today
Here are some stories that your newspaper probably missed out on today.
Costa Concordia completes final voyage to scrap yard
The wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship limped into the Italian port of Genoa on Sunday to be scrapped two-and-a-half years after it capsized in a tragedy that claimed 32 lives.
'The world needs to make Russia pay'
'The MH17 incident will hurt Russia morally, legally and strategically.'
How Haja Fakruddin ended up in Syria
Haja Fakruddin, a 37 year from Tamil Nadu, is one of ISIS's Indian fighters. Today, Indian intelligence agents tell Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com more Indians are ready to take the jihadi trip to Syria and Iraq.
PHOTOS: In Mumbai, when it rains, it pours!
The rain gods are finally looking down on Mumbai. After a blistering week, the city experienced heavy showers on Sunday and Monday and the officials at the regional weather department say that heavy rainfall is expected to continue for the coming 48 hours.
PHOTOS: Superheroes swoop into San Diego!
Over the years, Comic-Con has become the focal point for the world of comics conventions.
PHOTOS: Sonia Gandhi's Iftar party
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday night hosted her first Iftar in three years, which saw the Congress president sharing a table with leaders of RJD and its new-found ally Janata Dal-United.
PHOTOS: How Muslims break their Ramzan fast the world over 
We bring you a series of portraits of Muslims observing Ramzan in different countries around the world with the food they most liked to eat when breaking their daytime fast.
REWIND: 12 amazing photos of the week that was
A glimpse at what happened around the world last week.
July 26, 2014
US Congressman mistakes Obama officials for Indians
A freshman United States lawmaker committed an embarrassing faux pas when during a Congressional hearing he mistook two top Indian-origin American officials as representing the Indian government, quizzing them about "your country" and "your government".
Family feud rocks Amethi Palace
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is trying very hard to evict his own wife and children from Amethi Palace.
SHOCKING! Woman posts Instagram selfies wearing makeup looted from MH17 crash site
Ekaterina Parkhomenko, a girl living near the MH17 crash site in Ukraine, has reportedly hogged headlines since she bragged about her mascara, which was looted from the spot where the Boeing 777 aircraft went down, on Instagram.
Gaza death toll nears 1000 amid fragile 12-hour truce
A 12-hour "humanitarian window" began on Saturday after Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza agreed to a United Nations request for a pause in fighting, even as 76 more bodies were recovered taking the Palestinian death toll in the 19-day conflict to over 940 with 38 Israeli deaths.
Why PM Modi is unhappy with some ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly not all that happy with some of his ministers.
PHOTOS: Killings, arson leave UP's Saharanpur on edge
Three persons were killed and 19 others, including policemen, injured on Saturday as violent clashes broke out between two communities over a land dispute in Saharanpur with mobs indulging in brick batting and arson, prompting authorities to clamp curfew.
15 years after Kargil War, it's pride and pain for Mother India
The day on which the nation commemorates its hard-earned victory in the Kargil War is also an occasion that invokes feelings of both pain and pride for the families of the brave jawans who laid down their lives protecting the territory of India from intruders.
July 25, 2014
IAF Dhruv helicopter crashes in UP; 7 killed
Seven Indian Air Force personnel, including two officers, were killed on Friday when an Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv helicopter in which they were flying from Bareilly to Allahabad crashed in Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh.
1 dead as Shia protest in Lucknow turns violent
Members of Shia community were lathicharged by police on Friday as they were marching to gherao the house of Uttar Pradesh Waqf Minister Mohd Azam Khan over
Photos: When the President played football
India's own version of Madame Tussauds museum was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday, with fibre-glass statues of former presidents and eye-catching gifts received by them from abroad on display.
PHOTOS: Indian Army Chief honours fallen Kargil war heroes
Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh paid homage to Kargil martyrs in Drass sector of Kargil on Friday.
15 years later, remembering Kargil's first hero
The Kargil War gave India many young heroes who died fighting for a country they loved and swore to protect. We salute Lieutenant Saurabh Kalia in this feature published in 2004, on the 15th anniversary of the end of the Kargil war.
'You don't make your country any safer by killing children'
'Abstaining from the UN vote would not have sent a strong enough message to register the great concern India has about the plight of Palestinian civilians,' Michael Kugelman tells Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com
PHOTOS: Inside the world's TALLEST slum
Perhaps no other skyscraper is as infamous as Venezuela's 'Tower of David', a 45-storey unfinished building that has housed approximately 5,000 squatters since 2007.
Girls unsafe after 6 pm on UP roads: Goa CM
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has scripted a potential controversy by saying that girls "disappear" in Uttar Pradesh if they are out in the evening when he was highlighting the safety of his state.
PHOTOS: Israeli strike on UN school in Gaza kills 16, leaves 200 injured
Fifteen Palestinians were killed and 200 injured in a strike on a UN school in northern Gaza crowded with hundreds of displaced civilians.
India's 1st citizen has hosted 75 foreign dignitaries so far
In the two years that President Pranab Mukherjee has spent so far at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the country's first citizen has shown a marked preference for playing the gracious host over being a travelling head of state.
July 24, 2014
Heart-rending scenes, wailing parents at bus crash site
Mangled remains of a school bus with blood stains on it, strewn bags, tiffin boxes,
The man who ordered the bombings in Gaza
who is behind the Gaza offensive that has claimed so many lives?
I'm an Indian, will remain one always, says 'hurt' Sania 
Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Thursday hit out at politicians for raising objections to her being appointed as Telangana's brand ambassador, saying that her family had been staying in Hyderabad for more than a century and to call her an outsider was condemnable.
'One small step for man'... 45 years later 
US President Barack Obama marks the 45th year of the Apollo 11 moon mission.
'Israel won't be happy with what India has done'
'Before a vote in the UN,' one expert tells Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com, 'instructions are given from both the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry for External Affairs. India should have abstained. On the face of it, it looks like an error on the part of the MEA.'
Defiant Shiv Sena says 'force-feed rubbery rotis to Maharashtra CM'
Under fire for a party member of Parliament allegedly forcing a fasting Muslim worker to eat, Shiv Sena on Thursday said it was a "protest against mismanagement" at Maharashtra Sadan and held that the entire issue was given a "communal colour only to derive "political mileage" and to "malign" the party's image.
Sania is daughter-in-law of Pakistan, says Telangana BJP leader
Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party leader K Laxman has flayed the state government's decision to appoint tennis star Sania Mirza as the brand ambassador of the newly carved-out state, terming her as "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan and questioning her credentials for the honour.
These KIDS may be ruling India in 2030
They might be young but these kids have all the makings to be our country's political future.
PHOTOS: The war games India, US play
The annual India-United States bilateral Malabar naval exercise which kicked off on Monday in the Asia Pacific region is not aimed at containing China, the Pentagon has said.
WTF: It's Weird, True and Funny!
From the Elvis festival to a fanatic Homer Simpson fan, the world is crazy. Here's a fresh collection of stories that prove it's truly a weird and funny world.
PHOTOS: Chandra, our window to deep space
Fifteen years ago, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
July 23, 2014
9 patients die daily at India's top government hospital
Nine patients die on an average daily at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences while undergoing treatment, according to a Right To Information query.
US, Europeans ban flights to Israel over Gaza rocket threat
Several international airlines on Wednesday halted flights to Israel indefinitely, citing security concerns as high-level diplomatic efforts failed to yield any result to end the 16-day conflict that has killed 640 Palestinians and 31 Israelis.
Sena MP 'force-feeds' fasting Muslim staffer
A shocking incident of misuse of power has come to light in national capital New Delhi where 11 Shiv Sena Members of Parliament are reported to have forced a Muslim worker to break his Ramzan fast and eat a chapati, at the Maharashtra Sadan.
PHOTOS: World's largest naval exercise
Twenty-three nations, 47 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise scheduled June 26 to August 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
What kind of BLOODY world do we live in!
Some photographs from conflict zones around the world. If you don't have the stomach for it, do not go further
Why is IAF splashing around cash on THIS?
The Indian Air Force is wasting crores of Rupees on replacing the Avro-748, which has been a bits-and-pieces aircraft without any real operational role, says
Hungry Kya? Head to Tihar Jail
Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest prison complex located in New Delhi, is today serving up delicacies -- cooked, served and operated by inmates -- and earning rave reviews.
Hope runs thin for families of stranded Indians in Iraq
More than a month after they lost contact with their kin stranded in Iraq, around 30 families from Punjab, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have moved to the national capital with a resolve to "not go back till we get proof of life and a timeline from the government for safely bringing back our kin." Upasana Pandey speaks with the family of those stranded in Iraq.
July 22, 2014
Wadia threw burning cigarettes at my face: Preity to cops
Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, who has accused industrialist Ness Wadia of molestation, said her former boyfriend had thrown burning cigarettes at her and locked her up in a room even before the May 30 incident at Wankhede Stadium after which she filed a police complaint.
Gaza conflict: 583 Palestinians killed, no sign of ceasefire
Israeli air strikes on Tuesday killed 7 people in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, raising the Palestinian toll to 583 in the 15-day conflict that has also left 27 Israeli soldiers dead, even as international efforts to forge a ceasefire continues in Qatar and Egypt.
'Terrorists don't have the air power to counter the IAF'
'We have not got into a one-on-one with the terrorists. But there is no assurance they won't resort to launching a shoulder or vehicle fired missile. The probability is very low, but the threat exists,' Air Marshal P K Barbora (retd) tells Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com
Coming soon: New bridge to crossover India's dangerous rivers
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has designed a low-cost bridge, which can be used by civilians to cross small streams, rivulets and rivers.
No place to call home: Over 100,000 Palestinians become refugees
The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees has said that over 100,000 internally displaced people are seeking safety in its facilities amid deteriorating security conditions in the Gaza Strip as it appealed for $60 million (Rs 361 crore) for urgent humanitarian needs.
The HORRIFIC truth about child marriages in India 
India has the sixth highest prevalence of child marriage in the world with one in every three child bride living in India, a United Nations report said.
Black Twitter avatars, #bringthembackhome used in MH17 protest
Even as pro-Russian rebels handed over the black boxes that they found at the MH17 crash site, hundreds of thousands of Dutch social media users have changed their social media profile picture to a black square and are using the hashtag #BringThemHome, demanding Malaysia Airlines MH17 bodies' return.
PHOTOS: Monika More begins to write her own destiny
Armed with a never die attitude and a smile, Monika More made her first step into college on Monday after the horrible accident in which she lost both her arms amid a heavy and thunderous applause from her classmates at Ghatkopar's T D Mehta Junior College of Commerce.
Prince George is king of the world on his first birthday
It has been an exciting year for the young royal family, and here's a look back at the top moments in Prince George's first 12 months.
Top 10 ODD photos from around the world
Ten photos that prove that it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world!
Pro-Russia rebels hand over MH17 black boxes
Pro-Russia separatists have handed over data recorders from the downed MH17 plane to Malaysian experts on Tuesday.
Why was Modi missing from the President's Iftar party?
President Pranab Mukherjee hosted the season's first big Iftar party at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday evening, but conspicuously absent was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the event was in turn attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minorities Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah with Union Minister and Lok Janashakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan. Renu Mittal reports
July 21, 2014
PM Modi visits BARC; praises scientists
PM Modi on Monday visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre where he was apprised of the safety and security measures adopted by the DAE and India's excellent record in this regard.
Amidst Gaza action, Israelis tweet this morphed photo
Justifying its assault on Gaza, the Israeli military today tweeted a doctored picture of
Narendra Modi in Mumbai on first visit as PM
Narendra Modi arrived in Mumbai on Monday on his first visit to Mumbai after becoming the Prime Minister.
India's skies are perilously unsafe!
The lack of coordination between the military intelligence and officials handling civilian aircrafts has ensured that serious cases involving airspace violation are never investigated.
MH17 tragedy and the 'non-state actor' charade
The tragedy of MH17 should awaken the world to the sobering reality that the "non-state actor" charade has gone too far, notes Nitin Pai
Bangalore: Paedophile instructor had child rape videos on laptop
The Bangalore police on Sunday arrested a school's skating instructor in connection with the rape of a six year old. The police said that a laptop seized from the accused also contained child pornography and videos of school children being raped.
PHOTOS: 20 MOMENTS of the week that was
Missed the happening moments of last week? Don't worry, here's a recap of all that happened across the world in photographs.
The curious case of Bhatkal man 'martyred in Afghanistan'
The death of Indian Mujahideen-linked Anwar Beli, a former taxi driver in Dubai hailing from Bhatkal, in an encounter in Afghanistan is a pointer that more Indians are joining outfits like Al Qaeda, ISIS and Taliban, reports Vicky Nanjappa.Sources in the NIA tell Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com that for long the Indian Mujahideen has been looking to take the fight to Afghanistan, also informing about outfits like the Ansar ul-Tawhid which is helping terror outfits to recruit Indian youths.
Tears, fear & blasts: Deadliest day as war returns to Gaza
Israel's fiercest attack on Gaza in recent years killed 97 people on Sunday as the Palestinian death toll in the conflict rose to 435, and also left 13 Israeli soldiers dead in the air and ground assault.
PHOTOS: In Mumbai, it's pouring FUN
The monsoons are here and while many complain about the water-logging, the traffic snarls and the overall damp squib the days become, one can't help smile as the rains also allow kids to engage in some fun, splashing around in the water.
9/11 Museum: 'No day shall erase you from the memory of time'
The atmosphere at the 9/11 Museum is certainly somber, but not melodramatic. The exhibition conveys a sense of peace and optimism, not frustration and despondency, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Are you a news junkie? Take our quiz 
How plugged are you into news? And how much of it has stayed lodged in that grey matter? Take our weekly news quiz that gives you a whip-round of what's been going on this week. Good luck!
July 20, 2014
MH17: Mystery over 'train of the dead'
THIS is the Costa Concordia as you've never seen it -- its glamorous bars, decks and rooms now just ghostly remains after lying abandoned for more than two years.
Rebels 'stealing bodies' from MH17 crash site: Ukraine
As Russia was accused of a mass cover-up, grieving families pleaded for their loved ones' remains to be returned home.
I only bought a one-way ticket: Tragic joke of MH17 flier
A Queensland man who died in the Malaysia Airlines tragedy joked about not returning from his European holiday.
July 19, 2014
India floats defence deals worth Rs 21,000 crore
Pressing ahead with its policy to promote domestic military industry, the government has cleared procurement proposals worth over Rs 21,000 crore and also okayed a project for the production of transport aircraft which is open only to Indian private sector companies.
Modi writes to Malaysian PM, says outrage on MH17 downing justifiable
Expressing solidarity with Malaysia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wrote to his Malaysian counterpart saying the global outrage over the shooting down of aircraft MH17 was "justifiable" and India supports efforts to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.
Mulayam believes UP has lowest number of rapes
While the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh is under attack over a string of rape incidents, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is drawing flak for saying that the state has the lowest number of such cases in the country despite a population of 21 crore.
Russian crew downed MH17, rebels cleaning up act: Ukraine
Ukraine has claimed that it has "compelling evidence" that Russian crew operated the missile system that downed a Malaysian jet with 298 people on board and accused Moscow of helping rebels in trying to destroy evidence.
PHOTOS: President Pranab @ Padmanabhaswamy temple
The President asked many questions on the treasure found in the temple, however, he wasn't shown the actual treasure since it's sealed under a Supreme Court order. Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com, who accompanied the President, reports from Thiruvananthapuram.
Demands met, brave Mumbai fireman's kin take his body
The family of the fire-fighter who was killed in the massive fire that engulfed a 22-storeyed commercial building in Mumbai on Friday has refused to take his body, CNN IBN reported.
Photos: Amarnath yatra resumes after Baltel clashes
The yatra to the Holy cave shrine of Amarnath resumed on Saturday morning from north Kashmir's Baltel route after remaining suspended on Friday.
Eyewitness accounts: 'Many bodies were belted to the seats'
Eyewitnesses in Eastern Ukraine have claimed that Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 went down after a huge explosion in the sky. The aircraft along with 295 passengers reportedly went down near the village of Grabovo.
July 18, 2014
MH17 shot from pro-Russia rebel-controlled area: Obama
United States President Barack Obama on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire between Ukraine's Russia-backed separatists and the government there after a Malaysian passenger jet was shot down by a missile from rebel-held territory, killing 298 people on board.
If my flight disappears, this is what it looks like: MH17 flier's eerie post
A picture of MH17 was posted by a Dutch passenger of the Malaysian flight shot down in Ukraine on Thursday.
What you should know about Donetsk, the crash site of MH17
Grabavo, where Flight MH17 exploded and crashed, is in the eastern province of Donetsk. It is 40 odd kms from the Russian border and for many years, was called Stalino after Josef Stalin.
Photos:Firemen airlifted from burning Mumbai high rise, 1 killed
A fireman died and nine of his colleagues were injured as the navy and Coast Guard helicopters evacuated a group of firefighters trapped atop a commercial building aflame in a Mumbai suburb, officials said.
The missile system that shot down Malaysian plane
The BUK surface-to-air missile system is believed to have been used to shoot down the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 298 people aboard.
Who brought down MH17? 6 conspiracy theories
another Malaysia Airlines has gone down and hours after it 'disintegrated' in the sky, several conspiracies are floating behind the tragedy.
MH17 tragedy: Global outrage targets Russia, mourns the dead
Several hours after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukrainian airspace, global outrage seemed to be aimed at Russia
6 passenger aircraft SHOT DOWN before MH17
Even as speculation is rife about Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 being shot down in the sky, this is only the latest passenger aircraft to be brought down by militaries.
MH17 crash: Tears of disbelief hit relatives
In scenes reminiscent of the MH370 disaster four months ago, grieving relatives of passengers travelling on board Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 gathered at airports in Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur to learn the fate of their loved ones.
Peace dies as Israel invades Gaza Strip
Israel has launched its first massive ground offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in five years, after 10 days of bombardment from the air and sea killed nearly 260 Palestinians but failed to stop the militants' rocket attacks on the Jewish state.
IN PICS: The DEADLIEST air disasters in history
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the disastrous air crashes.
In PHOTOS: Ukraine VS pro-Russian separatist fighters 
The battle between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels.
July 17, 2014
PHOTOS: Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over Ukraine, 295 killed
All 295 people on board a Malaysia Airlines plane were killed on Thursday after the jet was shot down by "terrorists" over war-torn eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, nearly four months after the mysterious disappearance of MH370 in the Indian Ocean.
PHOTOS: Clinton meets students in UP village
Former US president Bill Clinton on Thursday interacted with students and assessed the working of self-help groups in Jabrauli village in Lucknow.
The sexy siren who 'loves killing sprees'
Alix Tichelman faces manslaughter charges for the death of Google executive Forrest Hayes.
When Delhi Metro ran with its doors OPEN
The doors of a metro train on the HUDA City Centre-Jahangirpuri route were found to be open between two stations.
The Internet: ISIS's favourite playground
'They clearly kill people for the cameras. You will notice the terrorists -- the executioners and others in the shot -- seem very much at ease with what they are about to do. They take to their jobs with gusto.'
PM Modi is diplomacy's darling these days
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's steps to improve ties with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries, top American officials, eminent South Asia experts and lawmakers have said that he has shown firm commitment towards strengthening India's relations with its neighbours, including Pakistan.
Remembering the iconic events @ Madison Square Garden
Rediff.com goes back in time to chart the most iconic events that have taken place at these grounds.
Israel, Hamas in humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a five-hour ceasefire on humanitarian grounds at United Nation's request after nine days of intense fighting in Gaza that has claimed 226 Palestinian lives, as hectic parleys were on in the region to broker a permanent truce.
Taliban targets Kabul airport with rockets
The Taliban on Thursday launched an attack on Kabul airport.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
Here's a fresh collection of offbeat, quirky stories from around the world.
July 16, 2014
DON'T MISS: Mohawk-sporting Gandhi scion makes Parliament debut
Priyanka Gandhi's son Raihan visited Parliament along few friends and watched Lok Sabha proceedings from the visitors' gallery of the Lok Sabha.
Is he the world's oldest living person EVER? 
A Brazilian man, who claimed he turned 126 last week, could be the world's oldest living person ever documented, according to reports.
PHOTOS: Heavy rains cripple Mumbai yet again
Heavy rainfall in Mumbai resulted in water-logging in its Sion locality on Wednesday, thereby creating a problem for local residents.
The incredibly BIZARRE photo gallery 
It is a mad world out there. These 15 odd photos from across the world are a proof.
BRICS summit, another feather in Modi's cap
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was all smiles on his first international multilateral engagement. At the BRICS summit, Modi talked tough and said that the five countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa --should show no tolerance towards terrorism.
July 15, 2014
PHOTOS: Bumper-to-bumper traffic as non-stop rain hits Mumbai
Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Tuesday evening leaving thousands of officer-goers in a lurch.
Another absurd reason for rape: Phones and non-veg food
Another day, another absurd reason for rise in rapes in the country. After the Karnataka legislature linked mobile phones to the rise in rapes in the country, on Tuesday, a Bihar minister on also held mobile phones and non-vegetarian food as reasons for surge in rape cases and favoured ban on cell phones among school students.
PHOTOS: Why a bull chasing you is not really fun
The historic San Fermin festival in Spain concluded on Monday with a hair-raising final running of the bulls.
ADULTS ONLY: 7 quirky museums around the world
Mildly titillating and a lot of excitement, Rediff.com takes a look at some erotic museums that are huge attraction worldwide.
I don't want to live in this sinful country: Indian ISIS recruit
young Indian men from Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.
Why China does NOT fear India's missiles
China has well and truly cemented its position in the 'star wars' era. Gordon Arthur explains why.
When India, China meet, the world watches: President Xi on meet with Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Fortaleza, Brazil and pressed for a solution to the boundary question, saying if the two sides could amicably resolve the vexed issue, it would set an example for the world on peaceful conflict resolution.
'I don't regret meeting Hafiz Saeed' 
You can't put journalists behind bars for meeting people. I did not meet Hafiz Saeed to advise him, it was purely a professional meeting, Ved Pratap Vaidik tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
July 14, 2014
Out with the old: The 4 new governors to take charge
On Monday, President Pranab Mukherjee announced the names of four new governors, following a series of quick resignations from various states across the nation.
ISIS sympathisers to strike Mumbai during Ramzan?
The Mumbai Commissioner of Police has sent out a letter to all Crime Branch units asking them to be on alert during Ramzan. reports
Hyderabad: From software hub to drug haven of India
The focus on maintaining peace amid the violent protests demanding for a different state of Telangana has allowed drug peddlers and suppliers to set up shop in the Old City and carry out their nefarious activities, reports Rediff.com's .
Meet Rumeysa Gelgi, world's tallest teenage girl
A 17-year-old girl in Turkey who stands at more than seven feet has become the world's tallest female teenager, according to Guinness World Records.
San Fermin festival: 10 stunning PHOTOS
Every year, thousands of daredevils put their bravery to test as they poured into medieval lanes of northern Spain's Pamplona city, dodging raging bulls.
HEADS UP! Supermoon lights up the sky
Night owls and stargazers were presented with a beautiful view on Saturday night, as the first of this season's supermoons filled the night sky.
This is just the start: Pune blast sees IM's new beginning
Intelligence Bureau officials fear the low-impact explosion bears all the markings of a typical Indian Mujahideen terror attack and that the terror module is testing the waters before they strike fear into the hearts of the people.
Israel gets ready for invasion; thousands flee Gaza
Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing their homes inside northern Gaza after the Israeli military threatened to widen its assault that has killed nearly 170 people in six days.
Stunning PHOTOS of the week that was!
Missed the happening news of last week? Don't worry, here's a recap of all that happened across the world in images.
Photographers on Planes! Here's what they snapped
Here's a collection of amazing snaps taken by photographers while flying to destinations for assignments
July 13, 2014
India scrambles fighter jets as aircraft entering via Pak spark alert
The Indian Air Force on Sunday scrambled fighter planes from its air base in Jodhpur after two commercial passenger aircraft sought to enter the Indian territory from Pakistan side using similar identification codes, sparking a security alert.
PHOTOS: Israel hits 200 targets in Gaza in 24 hours
Widening its offensive, Israel has carried out overnight air strikes against Gaza's security headquarters and police stations.
Hotshot! Self-guided bullets that NEVER MISS the enemy
Soldiers with bad aim may get help from a new high-tech sniper-bullet system that can track and direct the bullet to the target.
July 12, 2014
Why US guns won't boom in India anytime soon!
For years, New Delhi and Washington have negotiated the purchase of 145 M777 howitzers. reports
Blame mobiles for rape; ban them in schools, colleges: Karnataka MLAs
In a recommendation stoking controversy, a committee of the Karnataka legislature has proposed a ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges as a step to curb incidents like rape.
Gaza bombardment continues, Israeli tanks at border
Israel defiantly pressed on with its bombardment of Gaza for the fifth day on Saturday as the Jewish state vowed to keep up its military offensive to counter rocket attacks by Palestinian militants with the death toll reaching 121.
Inside the dens in Pakistan that make boys into suicide bombers
A key facility run by Afghan militant group Haqqani network for training the suicide bombers has been unearthed in Pakistan's troubled North Waziristan tribal region.
Sunken Costa Concordia ship set to rise from the waves
The unfortunate Costa Concordia, which struck a group of rocks just off Giglio on the night of January 13, 2012 in a disaster that claimed 32 lives, is finally to be refloated on Monday.
July 11, 2014
Israel continues to hammer Gaza Strip; over 100 dead
Israeli jets bombed the Gaza Strip for the fourth day on Friday killing 11 Palestinians, taking the death toll to 103, as the Jewish state was targeted for the first time by rocket attacks from Lebanon since the military offensive began.
Alarming case of Indians joining ISIS war in Iraq
Intelligence Bureau warns that the movement of Saudi Wahabi preachers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, if left unchecked, will lead to more Indians being brainwashed and eventually joining ISIS founder Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi's militia.
Opposition demands for data on Indians stuck in Iraq
Opposition on Friday demanded a detailed response from the government in Rajya Sabha on the Iraq crisis ruing that there is no data on how many Indians were still stuck there.
PHOTOS: 12 Pakistani women who dared to lift the veil
Though instability continues to plague Pakistan and many areas are dominated by social conservatism, some of the country's more affluent women have worked to fashion a very different kind of lifestyle for themselves. From being a pilates instructor to a rock climber, meet the feisty women who have broken away from tradition and shattered stereotypes.
PHOTOS: Torrential rains leave parts of Mumbai underwater
Incessant rains in the last 24 hours have slowed down Mumbai leaving parts of the city flooded. However the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has maintained that the situation is under control.
Most populous cities: Where do Delhi, Mumbai stand? 
Delhi has become the world's second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million, according to a United Nations report.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
We bring you a fresh collection of offbeat, quirky stories from around the world.
July 10, 2014
Photos: 'The longest running' Ramayana play in US
The annual three-day grand production of 'Ramayana' organised by the Mount Madonna School in California is a 36-year-old tradition, and is billed as 'the longest running Western production of the Indian classic epic'. This year the play with 200 student cast members was held from June 6 to June 8. reports.
PHOTOS: IED used in Pune blast
A low intensity blast occurred in the parking lot of the Pharaskhana police station situated in the vicinity of the famous Dagdusheth Ganesh temple.
Dramatic photos: Israeli air strikes pound Gaza
At least 25 Palestinians were killed on Thursday in fresh Israeli air strikes targeting over 300 Hamas positions, taking the death toll to 64 in the deadliest escalation in the region since November 2012.
REVEALED: Al Qaeda's plan to blow up Eiffel Tower, Louvre
A plot by Islamist militants to blow up the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre art museum and a nuclear power plant has been foiled, the French police said.
Why Modi picked 'autocratic' Amit Shah as BJP chief 
Amit Shah's elevation will ensure that the Union government and the Bharatiya Janata Party work in tandem like a well-oiled machine
What Modi can expect in US during his September visit 
The Indian-American community will accord a grand reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he travels to the United States in September to attend the annual General Assembly session in New York and a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama.
Don't Miss: 11 unmissable photos of the day that was
Here we present a series of defining photographs from across the country of the day that was.
July 09, 2014
6 things we learnt from Parliament today
Rediff.com compiles 5 bits of information released by the government in Parliament on Wednesday in the ongoing Budget session
Siesta time! Rahul caught snoozing in Parliament
Congress's vice-president Rahul Gandhi was caught dozing off in Parliament.
Spirits high as legal marijuana goes on sale in Washington
Washington on Tuesday became the second state to allow people to buy marijuana legally in the US without a doctor's note.
Speaker pulls up 'bad MPs' for creating ruckus in Lok Sabha
Anguished by repeated protests and a Trinamool Congress member telling her that she was "not the Speaker of Narendra Modi", Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday pulled up some members for their conduct, telling them bluntly that if they failed to maintain the dignity of the Chair, it is a "more serious matter".
Amit Shah appointed BJP's new president
Amit Shah, who orchestrated Bharatiya Janata Party's stellar performance in the Hindi heartland in the Lok Sabha elections, was on Wednesday named as the party's next president
Photos: Animals caught in the fury of floods
The fury of flood has wrecked havoc worldwide, causing immense loss of life and property. But one aspect that has received far less attention has been the impact that floods have on animals.
Not just pretty faces! Stars who are UN ambassadors
Emma Watson has joined a long list of celebrities who are using their fame and stardom to promote social causes as a United Nations' ambassador. Rediff.com presents a few of the celebs who have lent themselves to a good cause.
July 08, 2014
Congress workers get violent over Rail Budget
Congress on Tuesday slammed the Railway Budget as "pro-rich" with former Congress leader Mukesh Sharma removing Sadanand Gowda's nameplate, stepping on it in protest of what the party has called a anti-poor budget.
Sonia leads LoP war against Modi sarkar 
A day after making a strong pitch for her party being given the post of Leader of Opposition, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday held a meeting with party members of Parliament in Lok Sabha.
14 PHOTOS that prove it's a mad world out there!
Here are some of the most unusual moments across the globe in the past week captured on camera.
'US should strike a hard blow against ISIS'
Aki Peritz, co-author of the excellent book Find, Fix, Finish: Inside the Counterterrorism Campaigns that Killed bin Laden and Devastated Al Qaeda, and former CIA counter-terrorism analyst, tells that the brutal ISIS is merely following a decade-old playbook.
Ole! Everyone's on the run in Spain when the bulls hit the streets
Spain has kicked off its annual eight day running of the bulls festival. One person was gored in the event in Pamplona.
Exclusive! Matrimonial sites being used by predators, traffickers: Maneka Gandhi
Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi is determined to give her ministry more teeth. "It's a ministry that needs to take itself seriously," she tells , especially since it deals with the upliftment of millions of impoverished and exploited women.
July 07, 2014
Flying to the US? Keep your phones, laptop charged, or face extra screening
In a bid to enhance security at overseas airports that have direct flights to it, the United States has said electronic devices like cellphones and laptops that fail to power up will not be allowed on planes and their owners may have to undergo extra screening before boarding.
Frustrated over 'bure din', Congress workers try to gherao Parliament
Congress leaders on Monday tried to gherao Parliament House to protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government over price rise and rail fare hike.
'Here debt will kill us,' says Indian worker after return from Iraq
The woes of Indian workers who have returned from strife-torn Iraq are far from over. They now face worries of debt amid the struggle to find new jobs.
Fatwa, Shariat court have no legal sanction: SC
Disapproving of a Shariat court issuing fatwa and order against a person who is not before it, the Supreme Court on Monday said it has no sanction of law and has no legal status.
PHOTOS: The world's 10 LARGEST aircraft carriers
With Britain's Queen Elizabeth unveiling the Royal Navy's biggest ever aircraft carrier, which weighs more than 10,000 African elephants and is longer than the Houses of Parliament, Rediff.com presents the world's 10 largest aircraft carriers. And, India's INS Viraat stands proud at the eight position.
Chennai building collapse survivor: I drank urine to survive 72 hrs under rubble
Prakash Rout, a young plumber hailing from Odisha, spent 72 agonising hours under the rubble of the collapsed 11-storey building near Chennai without food or water. Although Rout had a miraculous escape as he came out without a scratch on his body, he regrets that his childhood friend and colleague wasn't as lucky as him, reports S Saraswathi.
20 INTERESTING images of the week that was
Here are some of the most scintillating images from across the globe in the last seven days.
July 06, 2014
Pix: Dalai Lama addresses devotees on his 79th birthday at Leh Kalachakra
Rediff.com's Reuben N V, who is attending the revered Kalachakra ceremony in Leh, sends us these fascinating photographs.
July 05, 2014
PHOTOS: Nurses reunite with families at Kochi airport
Forty-six nurses, who were held captive by Sunni militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants in Iraq, on Saturday returned home by a special Air India flight to a happy reunion with their families here, bringing to an end their about month-long ordeal.
July 04, 2014
PHOTOS: On maiden visit to J-K, PM Modi honours fallen soldiers
Suggesting that the train be named 'Shree Shakti Express', Modi, who is on his maiden visit to J and K after assuming power, said the state has gone through many "problems and difficulties" and the country wants it to be "prosperous and peaceful".
REVEALED: Al Qaeda's dangerous plan to match ISIS
Threatened by the growing clout of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Al Qaeda is desperate for a comeback. Explosives that airport scanners can't detect are the latest security threat
Man found alive after 72 hours in Chennai building rubble
A 28-year-old labourer from Odisha's Kendrapara district had a providential escape from the claws of death in the Chennai building collapse, which claimed 61 lives.
PHOTOS: India, China reaffirm peace and tranquility along border
Army Chief General Bikram Singh, who is the first Indian Army Chief to visit China in nine years, held a number of meetings with China's military top brass.
Why ISIS doesn't want Indians to leave Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, which has declared the formation of a caliphate, realises it will need the help of migrant workers and professionals to run the nation and is thus forcing the Indian nationals to stay back, reports .
Aim is to win the hearts of people of J&K: PM Modi
While inaugurating the 25-km long train, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was his government's duty to ensure the development of the region and ensured that the task would be achieved. reports.
'ISIS cannot declare an Islamic state for the heck of it'
S Q R Ilyas, a prominent member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, tells of Rediff.com what the formation of the Islamic caliphate means to Indian Muslims.
10 popular myths busted recently
Here's a roundup of some popular myths busted recently
Leave alone temperament to rule, he has no temperament for hard work
At a time when the Congress' stakes have shrunk, Rahul Gandhi should be focusing on putting the broken party structure together
15 powerful ads with a message for YOU
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the most powerful advertisement campaigns aimed at grabbing your attention and remaining in your memory long after you have left it behind.
July 03, 2014
Here's Indian Air Force's first mobile game
Embarking on its first sortie in virtual world, the Indian Air Force has launched nation's first 3D mobile game in a bid to attract generation-next youth to pursue a career in the air force.
Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Pak says Kashmir not India's
Needling India ahead of Narendra Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir as Prime Minister, Pakistan on Thurday harped on Kashmir being a "disputed territory".
46 Indian nurses in ISIS captivity in Iraq, families say 2 hurt
The families of nurses stranded in war-torn Iraq hint that they have been moved to Mosul; New Delhi says it's in touch with the nurses. Vicky Nanjappa reports
After the rain, the digs pour in: 'Tip tip barsa paani' in Mumbai Metro
Twitter swiftly reacted when an image of water started leaking around 11.30 am in a compartment of a Ghatkopar-bound train.
Trapped Indians on their return: ISIS militants are barbarians
Two Indians who returned from Najaf in Iraq recount their horrible ordeal that began almost a month ago when the Sunni militants took over Iraq and declared a new Islamic state.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
Here's a fresh collection of the most Weird, True and Funny News from the across the globe.
July 02, 2014
How ISIS's 'Islamic state' will shake up terror world 
Experts tell Rediff.com's about the impact of the 'Islamic state' on the terror world.
Stranded nurses in Iraq hospital basement beg for help
reports on how Indian nurses working in the Iraqi city of Tikrit have moved to the basement of a hospital where they have been trapped following fresh violence.
Preity on Ness case: I was constantly being abused
Even as the investigation in the Ness Wadia-Preity Zinta case continues, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta took to Facebook to clear the air and defend the case she filed against her former boyfriend.
PHOTOS: Mumbaikars welcome season's first heavy shower
After suffering scorching heat, Mumbaikars finally got some respite after rains lashed the city on Wednesday morning.
MUST SEE: 19 award-winning photographs
World Press Photo Contest winner this year is American photographer John Stanmeyer of the VII Photo Agency.
PHOTOS: It's an odd world out there!
We bring you a collection of some of the odd moments from around the world in recent weeks.
July 01, 2014
Did NSA carry out surveillance on BJP in 2010?
America's top spy agency, the National Security Agency was authorised by a United States court in 2010 to carry out surveillance on the Bharatiya Janata Party along with five other political organisations across the globe, including Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Pakistan Peoples Party, according to a classified document.
The dangerous ISIS has its eyes on India
North West India is what the ISIS is aiming at in its map of the caliphate. However, many Indian Muslims feel that the jihadists are making a mockery out of Islam. reports.
Guess who the prime minister follows
The list of the 60 entities the PMO follows on Twitter doesn't include any industrialist or any entity from the fields of films and sports. reports.
'It's not necessary for everyone to participate in active politics'
Aspiring poet and photographer, young Thackeray scion Aditya speaks to about his dreams, visions and aspirations
12 HEAVENLY photos of the night sky
A collection of 12 photographs of the sky pre-selected for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 award.
Two suggestions for Smriti Irani
Why not offer students a choice in the form of two, three and four year UG programmes?
One neta threatens rape, another against short dresses. BOO THEM!
Just what exactly is wrong with our lawmakers these days?
June 30, 2014
Rs 60,000-cr deal with France for Rafale fighter jets taking off
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, the first top-level dignitary from France to meet the new Indian government, on Monday pushed for early purchase of the multi-billion dollar Rafale combat aircraft during his meetings with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.
94 Indians leave Iraq; nearly 600 more to return this week
As many as 94 Indians on Monday left Iraq after a "pro-active approach" initiated by the Indian officials there that would see nearly 600 nationals leaving the war-hit country to safety this week.
What ISIS's new 'Islamic state' means for the world 
What is a caliphate? How will it impact Muslims in India and across the world? Experts analyse the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria's declaration of an 'Islamic state'
In Chile, Prince Harry does it Gangnam style
Prince Harry had to call upon his best dance moves while visiting a centre for disabled children in Chile when he was called to the stage to bop along to some popular hits.
At PSLV launch, PM jokes 'Our Mars mission costs less than film Gravity'
India on Monday successfully launched five foreign satellites from four countries on board PSLV-C23 rocket which placed them in orbit, an achievement described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an 'endorsement' of the country's space capabilities.
AWESOME photographs of the month: June
Rediff.com presents some of the best photographs clicked across the globe in the month of June.
PHOTOS: Muslim world begins Ramzan fasting
Muslim men and women across the world are observing Ramzan, the month-long celebration of self-purification and restraint.
June 29, 2014
'Who will buy this aircraft?'
Defence Research and Development Organisation's claim about being in a position to export Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has been dismissed as premature and unrealistic by former top Indian Air Force officers who want it to focus on getting the indigenous fighter plane inducted into own air force first.
All systems go for PSLV C23 launch
In an exclusive commercial launch to be witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's national space agency ISRO is set to launch five satellites from four countries from the spaceport of Sriharikota.
Over 2/3rd Indians still rely on dung-based fuel!
More than two-third of India's one billion strong population continue to rely on carbon-emitting biomass and dung-based fuel to meet energy needs for cooking, according to a United Nations report.
June 28, 2014
'Rahul not a ruler by temperament'
A controversy erupted on Saturday as Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said Rahul Gandhi does not have the temperament of a ruler.
Function as family, focus on conduct: Modi tells first-time MPs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday gave tips to the newly elected members of Parliament of the Bharatiya Janata Party on how to maintain standards in public life and take the message of good governance to the people.
PHOTOS: A snowy trek begins for 7,000 Amarnath yatris
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath began on Saturday with over 7,000 pilgrims trekking the 17-km northern Baltel route.
The frustrations of Akhilesh Yadav
India's youngest chief minister is trapped under layers of influences and is proving ineffectual, but author finds him impossible not to like during an unusually personal interview.
This June is the driest in India in 10 years 
Till Thursday, the country had received 41 per cent less June rainfall than normal -- the scantiest in a decade and one of the rarest occasions when the shortfall in the month was more than 30 per cent -- private weather forecaster Skymet said in its daily weather forecast on Friday.
June 27, 2014
Have no faith in quotas, want each minority to stand on their own feet: Najma Heptulla
Slamming the Maharashtra government's move to announce five per cent reservation for Muslims in education and jobs, Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla has said the decision reflects all that has been wrong with the Congress's approach towards minorities through the years.
Flash floods kill several in Guwahati, throw life out of gear
Eight persons were killed because of landslides and electrocution due to flash floods triggered by a night-long downpour in Guwahati on Friday. All the main thoroughfares and most of the localities were flooded, disrupting daily life.
1 million children in India still don't go to school
India, Indonesia and Pakistan each have more than a million children out of school, according to a United Nations report which said the global number of unschooled children aged 6 to 11 is still as high as 58 million, showing little overall improvement since 2007.
The WILDEST party of the year is here!
Glastonbury Festival, the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world, is underway.
The mathematician who got his equations wrong
Meet Dinesh Singh, the most controversial Delhi University vice-chancellor till date
Swamy gives Gandhis the jitters
Court summons for Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi have clearly made the party extremely jittery. But Subramanian Swamy, the man who dragged them to court, believes he has hit gold.
June 26, 2014
Bribery: The secret weapon used by ISIS to ensure victory
Using their deep cash reserves amounting to at least $1.3 billion, the militants are bribing military commanders to stay away from the battle, enabling them to take over Iraqi towns easily. They also use their money power to gain crucial information from the military, thus helping them spread their influence over the nation. Rediff.com's/Vicky Nanjappa reports
NGOs feel the STING of Indian foreign-funding law
Say clauses like 'public interest' and 'national security' are used for targeting; govt faces big task in 2016 to renew NGO clearances
Few people know Modi has a soft heart: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Lack of understanding, sense of belonging, trust, and probably misinterpretation of scripture are causes of religious extremism, says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at an interaction organised by a neo-conservative American think tank. Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com reports from Washington, DC
JUST FOR LAUGHS: Have you seen these movies?
Last week you saw how politicians are natural salesmen. This week, we bring you which movies according to us would be the perfect matches for a select few netas. Remember, this is only in jest!
India's English obsession must end
India is like Europe. The European Union has 24 official languages. All 24 are used for outbound communication. All laws are released in 24 languages. Each state has engineering, medicine, business in their own language. India's languages serve a larger number of people than many European states. There is no reason why we cannot adopt this model, says Sankrant Sanu.
PHOTOS: The top 15 most popular world leaders on Twitter
According to Twiplomacy, a study conducted by global public relations and communications firm Burson-Marsteller, US President is the most followed leader on Twitter followed by Pope Francis, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Modi and the White House.
PHOTOS: 21 killed in Nigerian mall explosion
An explosion erupted through a Nigerian shopping mall, killing at least 21 people just an hour before the national football team played Argentina in the World Cup.
June 25, 2014
Uttar Pradesh is India's sub-Saharan Africa
Below-par growth and a serious governance gap have ensured that on almost all social indicators UP trails and, by the state government's admission, matches levels of sub-Saharan Africa. Be it infant mortality, literacy or the sex ratio, UP is far behind others, notes .
4 dead after Rajdhani Express derails in Chhapra
At least four passengers were killed and 23 others were injured when the Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed at Golden Ganj station near Chhapra.
PHOTOS: Incredible India's heritage sites
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, a rich biodiversity in Himachal Pradesh and home to several rare and threatened species of flora and fauna, was on Monday approved for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
June 24, 2014
When 5,000 Indians signed up to lay down their lives in Iraq
Around 5,000 Shia Muslims and 162 Hindus have agreed and are ready to go to Iraq.
15 BREATHTAKING photos from the wild 
Here's a collection of 15 top images short-listed for the People's Choice Award (wildlife category).
Can PM Modi fix 'spoilt' Delhi first? 
The famous 'Gujarat model' won't work in Delhi. This is a spoilt city-state with a population that's never paid up front for anything
Modi's family: From obscurity to living under the spotlight
How has life changed for the family of Narendra Modi after he became prime minister of India? The author visits the homes of his wife and mother in Gujarat to find out
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny 
Here's your weekly dose of the most Weird, True and Funny News from the across the globe.
June 23, 2014
PIX: Celebrating the summer solstice with yoga and dancing
Summer Solstice celebrations from around the world.
The rise of ISIS: Why India should worry
The world's most dangerous man Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi leads Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's attempts to carve out a caliphate in the Middle East. After Iraq, will ISIS make a foray in neighbouring Afghanistan?
After a mighty fight, it's lights out for Campa Cola residents
After three days of stiff resistance, the residents of Campa Cola compound in south
How tribal factions are causing states across West Asia to unravel
Across West Asia, the old bonds of tribe and creed are causing states to unravel.
In search of Shiva in Kedarnath 
On the morning of the first anniversary of the disastrous cloudburst in Kedarnath, I found myself walking amid the rubble, recalling the beauteous meadows I'd seen when I'd last visited years ago.
US has 7,300 nuclear weapons, do you know India's count?
The United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea possess approximately 16,300 nuclear weapons collectively.
12 INTERESTING photos of the week that was 
A glimpse at what happened around the world last week.
June 22, 2014
India can export fighter planes, missiles: DRDO chief
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing on the need for increasing arms exports, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has said India can sell combat aircraft and missiles whose production cost would be "much lower" than some of the weapons sold by countries such as China.
June 21, 2014
Winners' Gallery: India Abroad Person of the Year 2013A look at the winners of the India Abroad Person of the Year 2013 awards Mumbai: Illegal Campa Cola flats to be forcefully evicted
In the face of increasing resistance to eviction from Campa Cola compound residents, the civic body in Mumbai has filed a police complaint against those preventing officials from implementing the Supreme Court order even as its team has decided to try again to convince the occupants to leave the illegal flats on Saturday before opting for use of force.
June 20, 2014
'Why are we being treated worse than terrorists?'
When Rajiv Chawla bought his flat at Worli's Campa Cola compound 23 years ago, he didn't know it was illegal.
Hindi vs English debate: Where do you stand?
The old linguistic war of Hindi versus other regional languages has reached a fever pitch after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move to promote Hindi on social media is meeting strong resistance from leaders across the political spectrum, irrespective of party lines.
Iraq kidnapping: 'India can't do much politically or militarily'
Ambassador Chinmaya Gharekhan explains the situation in Iraq and Syria in this final part of his interview to rediff.com's .
Why Baghdadi is Osama version 2.0
There is not much that the world knows about the man who is capturing one Iraqi city after another. And that's what makes Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi both mysterious and dangerous.
Mumbai's Campa Cola residents fight the mighty BMC 
Mumbai municipal officials on Friday descended on the posh Campa Cola society to cut off essential supplies to the illegal flats but are facing stiff resistance from the residents, who have blocked their entry by locking up the gates and forming human barricades.
'US intervention in Iraq will only benefit ISIS militants'
Dr Andrew McGregor, director, Aberfoyle International Security, Toronto and senior editor, Jamestown Foundation Global Terrorism Analysis Program, Washington DC, says that further military intervention by the US in Iraq is a non-starter.
The intriguing case of India's NGOs
In the first of a four-part series, looks at the various aspects of NGOs and their functioning
Next in PM Narendra Modi's firing line are...
Members of national panels have received calls from ministries to step down. Kavita Chowdhury reports
The world's MOST VIOLENT nations
In the latest annual ranking of Global Peace Index states that 500 million people live in countries at risk of instability and conflict. India has been ranked at 143rd position out of 162 countries surveyed.
ISIS audit: 1,000 assassinations, 4,000 bombings & counting 
Sunni rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- who have stormed Iraq's big cities like Mosul and Tikrit, taken over its largest oil refinery and slowly marching on to Baghdad, leaving a trail of blood and death -- as a part of its image-building has done something only major corporations do at the end of the year: issues annual reports, outlining its attacks, assassinations and terror acts.
June 19, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: Pray for our safe return, say nurses trapped in Iraq
The nurses trapped inside Tikrit Teaching hospital in Iraq have been advised not head for the airport unless they get an assurance of safe passage. reports
Location of 40 abducted Indians known, says Iraq 
The location of the 40 Indian construction workers kidnapped in Mosul town of strife-torn Iraq has been identified by Iraqi authorities, the government said on Thursday.
'Americans created the sharp sectarian divide in Iraq'
Ambassador Chinmaya Gharekhan explains the situation in Iraq and Syria in this interview to Rediff.com's .
ISIS militia not human beings; they kill people for fun: Indian worker in Iraq
/ Rediff.com spoke to Indian worker Ahmed who managed to escape from Mosul before the ISIS invaded the Iraqi city
Modi sarkar, DMK in war of words over Hindi
Dubbing as the beginning of the "imposition of Hindi", the National Democratic Alliance government's reported directive to officials to give priority to the language in the social media, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should focus on economic growth and social development.
Why many Indian nurses won't leave Iraq
Many of the Indian nurses -- most of them from Kerala -- stuck in Iraq took loans to arrive in the war-torn country to support their families back home. Now, they have to choose between the devil and the deep sea.
After IB warning, govt to keep tab on Greenpeace foreign funds
The Intelligence Bureau has prepared yet another report on Greenpeace, a non-government organisation, recommending cancellation of permission given to it for collecting funds abroad besides reassessment of its tax compliance.
NGO 'dignifies relief' to help rebuild Uttarakhand
One year since the flash floods, there are serious concerns over poor infrastructure, environment and survival that continue to haunt people. Upasna Pandey reports
PHOTOS: 10 STRANGEST objects sent into space
Days after a coffee chain announced that it would send an espresso machine to the International Space Station so that astronauts could enjoy hot, freshly brewed coffee, Rediff.com looks back at the strangest, quirkiest items that man has sent into space.
'I just want my child to come home safe'
Family members of the Punjabi boys who have been abducted in Iraq are shattered and praying hard for the safe return of their sons from Iraq.
One year on, Kedarnath yet to come to grips with tragedy
A year since the flash floods laid waste to the region, Devbhoomi is still struggling with the aftershocks, reports Akash Bisht from Kedarnath.
ODD WORLD: The Bavarian Girls calendar photo shoot and more...
We bring you a collection of some of the odd moments from around the world in recent weeks.
June 18, 2014
Days after son's Preity mess, Nusli Wadia gets underworld threat
In a new twist to Preity Zinta-Ness Wadia episode, the Wadia group has filed a police complaint claiming they received threatening calls and a text message from an underworld don warning that their "business will be in trouble" if the actress was harassed.
Rijiju on Modi sarkar: 'Discipline can't be termed as dictatorship'
'People were looking for leadership for the country. For a long time it was perceptible to everybody that India lacked a leader. Without strong leadership you cannot get a direction for the country,' Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju tells in the second and final part of an exclusive interview.
Has the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan gone out of control?
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has never grown into a unified group and by its very nature continues to be a conglomeration of different militant tribal groups that broadly follow similar goals.
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny
We bring you a fresh collection of offbeat, quirky stories from around the world.
Meet the world's most dangerous terrorist
/ Rediff.com profiles Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi aka Abu Dua, the feared leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and his fierce ambitions
June 17, 2014
Here's what got Germans more excited than thrashing Portugal
Here's how Germany celebrated their with against Portugal.
'Iraq violence could spill over into other countries'
The scale of crisis in Iraq with militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham overtaking each town in the country and vowing to continue their bloodshed till the time they take over Baghdad, has left everyone with the one question they thought they would never have to: Would Iraq have been more stable if Saddam Hussein had been in power?
India may shoot down Rafale fighters... and Saab's hoping it does
Saab believes co-developing Tejas Mark II would end need for Rafale. reports
Exclusive! Kiren Rijiju: 'We must strengthen our position on China border'
'When I say strengthening the Indo-China border, it does not mean that we will take an aggressive position towards China. We definitely want friendly relations with China, but on an equal footing. The two countries must stand together on an equal footing. Nobody should have an advantageous or disadvantageous position. The previous government's policy, of not developing areas close to Indo-China borders was a pessimistic policy,' Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju tells .
PHOTO REWIND: The world in the last 24 hours
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 24 hours
JUST FOR LAUGHS: Alternate careers for our idle netas
Politicians are natural salesmen. They sell dreams to voters before the elections.
Some Monsoon moments.. Share yours with us
Share your interesting monsoon snapshots with us on Rediff ZaraBol
Hey bhagwan, please save the Ganga
It is time to get seriously worried. There seems to be a move to "develop" the Ganga and as many as four Union ministries have joined hands to do it. The word "development" has not been mentioned, but all that has been said creates a sense of foreboding.
June 16, 2014
PHOTOS: Modi in the land of happiness
Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to the country from Bhutan, concluding his first foreign trip after assuming office last month.
Did ASI do a shoddy job at Kedarnath temple?
The Kedarnath temple committee has expressed dissatisfaction over the restoration work being carried out by ASI at the shrine which was damaged in last year's flash floods in Uttarakhand, but the government agency has squarely rejected these claims.
PHOTOS: Britain's Prince George takes first step towards the throne
He wriggled, struggled and then finally broke free. Britain's future king Prince George took his first princely steps in public as he was seen taking baby strides clutching on to his mother Kate Middleton's hand at an event.
The Al Qaeda is coming to Kashmir
A new video, released by Maulana Asim Umar -- a senior leader of Al Qaeda's Pakistan cell -- urging Kashmiris to follow the footsteps of their "brothers" in Iraq and Syria and launch a jihad against India, has rung alarm bells in New Delhi.
India's progress = development of neighbours: Modi in Bhutan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India is committed to good neighbourly relations and assured Bhutan that a change in the government will not alter the dynamics of Indo-Bhutan ties.
Modi's mantris: Overworked, sleep-deprived and under stress
A Cabinet expansion is on the cards before the Budget session to take away additional portfolios from those unable to keep up with the pace of work.
REWIND: 12 TOP photos in the last 24 hours
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 24 hours
June 15, 2014
Bharat to Bhutan: PM Modi vows to nurture ties 
Making Bhutan his first foreign destination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday vowed to nurture bilateral relations which he described as 'B2B - Bharat to Bhutan'.
PHOTOS: PM Modi touches down in Bhutan
PM Modi begins his first foreign visit in Bhutan.
June 14, 2014
Will Sri Sri be able to save AAP?
With an aim to revive its original movement, 55 members of the Aam Aadmi Party have turned to the spiritual guru. reports
Moment of pride and happiness for me: PM aboard INS Vikramaditya
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated India's largest warship INS Vikramaditya to the nation on June 14.
All you wanted to know about INS Vikramaditya
Two days before the Indian Navy's biggest acquisition ever, INS Vikramaditya is inducted in the service in Russia, here's a background note on its long, chequered journey from an abandoned decrepit Russian aircraft carrier to what the Navy says, a 'game changer' in Asia.
June 13, 2014
Goa MLAs World Cup party pooped, to pay for trip
Under attack over their proposed government-funded trip to Brazil to watch the football World Cup, six Goa legislators on Friday decided to pick up the tab for the visit themselves although opposition the Congress said it would only believe them if an official notification confirmed their decision.
PHOTOS: High tide causes water-logging in parts of Mumbai
A high tide rocked Mumbai city on Friday afternoon that lead to flooding of many residential areas and roads in the maximum city.
Meet the professor who wants to end power cuts in India
Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT-Madras speaks of his revolutionary method of preventing power cuts, in an interview with /Rediff.com
10 most INTERESTING photos of the week
Here's a look at the week that was in photographs.
Rebels vow to take over Baghdad; US considers 'all options'
Sunni rebels from an Al Qaeda splinter group overran the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday and closed in on the biggest oil refinery in the country, making further gains in their rapid military advance against the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
June 12, 2014
PHOTOS: It hasn't rained but Mumbai's already flooded
A high tide rocked Mumbai city on Thursday afternoon that lead to flooding of many residential areas and roads in the maximum city.
Footie fever: Outcry over Goa's Rs 89-lakh junket to Brazil 
A Goa government-sponsored trip for a group of six politicians to Brazil to watch the
PHOTOS: After sweating it out, Delhi chills with rains
There is some respite from the killing heat for Delhi. Rains and hailstorms in part of the city has brought temperatures down.
MUST SEE! Sun puts on a fireworks show
The NASA cameras on Wednesday captured a major solar eruption, the third X-class flare in two days.
PHOTOS: When politicians flaunt their football tricks 
Rediff.com takes a look at some popular world leaders as they show off their football skills.
PHOTOS: Angelina Jolie begins war against rapes in conflict
Angelina Jolie hosts a summit against rapes in war, which saw participating of over 100 countries.
Photos: When militants forced 50,000 Iraqis out of their homes
An Al Qaeda splinter group seized control of Mosul, the second biggest city in Iraq, on Tuesday, putting security forces to flight in a spectacular show of strength against the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government.
June 11, 2014
IMAGES: Deadly tanker accident near Mumbai
Two persons were on Wednesday killed and nine others injured when a chemical-laden tanker fell from the Mumbra bypass here over hutments in an adjoining slum area.
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny
Here's your weekly dose of some of the most bizarre news stories from around the world.
RARE PHOTOS: World War I, as never seen before
We present rare and unseen photographs that show the daily life of soldiers in the trenches, destruction of towns and military leaders during the World War I as the world marks the centenary year of the mega war in 2014.
June 10, 2014
Karachi airport attack: What makes the Taliban so deadly
The Tehreek-i-Taliban which claimed responsibility of the brazen attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, is made up of Chechens, Arabs, Afghan Taliban, Uzbeks and Central Asians, has become a fearful force to deal with. Vicky Nanjappa tells you why
PHOTOS: Divers search Beas River for 19 missing students 
Rescue teams along with divers and rafters scoured the Beas River for signs of the missing 19 students of a Hyderabad-based engineering college and a tour guide who were washed away due to sudden discharge of water from the reservoir of Larji Hydropower Project.
PHOTOS: When vampires and goths descended on Germany
This past weekend, vampires, steampunks, zombies, rivetheads, and goths victorian gathered in Leipzig, Germany for the Wave Gothic Festival. The annual celebration drew over 20,000 participants from around the world.
Himachal tragedy: Bodies of 4 students reach Hyderabad, 19 missing
Bodies of four students from a Hyderabad-based engineering college, who were washed away along with their classmates in Beas River in Himachal Pradesh, were brought home by a special Army aircraft.
PHOTOS: India becomes too hot to handle!
Searing heat conditions prevailed in the northern region as mercury soared to record levels at many places with Churu in Rajasthan registering a blistering high of 48.3 degree Celsius.
June 09, 2014
PHOTOS: The deadliest terror attacks at airports
Hours after the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan witnessed a terror attack, Rediff.com brings you some of the deadliest attacks at airports, which have left several dead and hundreds injured.
PHOTOS: 28 killed as bloody siege of Karachi airport ends
"The airport has been cleared. The security forces killed
June 07, 2014
PHOTOS: Arun Jaitley reviews preparedness at Western Naval Command
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley visited the aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Mumbai on Saturday.
US media finds a new style icon in Modi
Narendra Modi, who was unwelcomed in the United States only a few years ago, is now a 'fashion icon' to the American media.
June 06, 2014
Photos: Kashmiri Pandits throng Khir Bhawani festival
Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits on Friday thronged the revered north Kashmir Khir Bhawani temple on the annual festival. The temple is located at Tullamulla, 26 kilometres from summer capital Srinagar in Ganderbal district.
MUST READ: Modi's dos and don'ts to debutant party MPs
From avoiding speaking unnecessarily to the media, to avoid power brokers in the capital, to barring them from touching his feet -- headmaster Modi doled out advice to the Bharatiya Janata Party's class of 2014 - the first-time party members of Parliament who are yet to find their feet in the national capital, writes Rediff.com contributor Anita Katyal
PHOTOS: Delhi sizzles at over 45 deg Celsius!
Mercury breached the 45 degree Celsius mark on Friday in the national capital, a day after the city witnessed the hottest day of the season with the maximum temperature being recorded at 44.7 degree Celsius.
D-DAY PHOTOS: Remembering the invasion that changed the world
Veterans who stormed the beaches of Normandy exactly 70 years ago on Friday saluted towards the English Channel at dawn to mark the moment they and their friends started the D-Day assault. Beaches that in 1944 were being pulverised by shells and gunfire and strewn with the brave wounded and dying were silent this morning as men who fought and survived remembered those who lost their lives in Nazi-occupied France.
Bhai vs bhai: The political 'deewaar' 
Rediff.com lists a few siblings who chose to chart different political courses. We invite our readers to extend this list with more names, both historical and contemporary.
'Want death penalty for him... he has no guilt about killing my sister'
Confessed Balvir Singh, 42, who was charged with murdering his wife Anita Sindhu at their home in California, in court. Hundreds of people, including Sindhu's colleagues, community members and elected officials attended the service in Hayward, California on June 1. reports
WATCH: Sword fight in Golden Temple on Op Bluestar anniversary
Two groups clashed inside the Golden Temple premises for close to half an hour on Friday morning leaving at least 12 persons injured, even as the temple city observed a bandh to mark the 30th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
This day in 1944: Hitler's downfall began
Seventy years ago on June 6, the beaches of Normandy in France were the site of an invasion never before, one that would change the course of history.
34 free air tickets; Rs 60K to clean curtains: Perks of an MP
With the new Members of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha being sworn-in on Thursday and Friday, Rediff.com looks at the salaries and perks that our elected representatives are entitled to.
June 05, 2014
PHOTOS: Green Day mania hits India
June 5 is celebrated all over as World Environment Day. On this occasion, Indians used different methods to raise awareness about the environment and the dangers of global warming.
PHOTOS: First-time MP Modi takes oath in Lok Sabha 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several of his Cabinet colleagues and Congress President Sonia Gandhi were prominent among those who took oath as members of the 16th Lok Sabha on Thursday.
What's Modi sarkar's plan of action for Ram Temple? 
The Bharatiya Janata Party will continue to have a rightward tilt. So, challenging neo-liberal economic policies will be key to the formation of a Centre-Left Opposition, which could happen in two to three years
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny
We bring you a fresh collection of the quirkiest news reports from around the world; from bum guards to dogs disrupting flights, we have it all.
Modi, Obama meet likely in Washington in September 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet United States President Barack Obama in Washington in September to hold their first bilateral talks.
UNUSUAL pictures of the month: MAY
We bring you a presentation of some of the most unusual photos from around the world in the month gone by
June 04, 2014
The shocking Samajwadi take on RAPES in UP
Amid all-round attack on Akhilesh Yadav government over rape incidents, Samajwadi Party leaders on Wednesday gave weird arguments, saying sometimes when relationship between girls and boys come out in open, it is "termed as rape".
MH370 crashed close to India?
Australian researchers on Wednesday said they have detected a low-frequency underwater noise off India's southern tip at about the time MH370 mysteriously disappeared, as a British woman sailing from Kochi to Phuket in March claimed that she may have seen the plane on fire.
Prime Minister Modi's Official Photograph
The Prime Minister's Office has released the first official photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Beed bids farewell to Munde as daughter lights pyre
Tens of thousands of mourning supporters and distraught family members today bid a tearful farewell to Gopinath Munde, Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party's tallest mass leader and architect of its impressive victory in the Lok Sabha elections, who was killed in a car crash on Tuesday.
FDI battle: MoD vs defence industry
After the UPA tried unsuccessfully since 2010 to raise the 26 per cent cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence production, a move that indigenous defence companies and former Defence Minister AK Antony resisted staunchly, the new government has initiated a fresh attempt along the same lines.
PHOTOS: They passed with flying colours!
We bring in fascinating photographs from Colour Runs organised across the globe. Enjwaay!
PHOTOS: 20 most powerful women in politics 
Here's a Forbes annual list of the extraordinary women from across the world that dominate the world of politics.
Tiananmen Square: When China's history changed FOREVER 
Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of China's infamous Tiananmen Square massacre, an event that defined a generation of activists and shocked the world.
June 03, 2014
PHOTOS: Maharashtra leaders pay tribute to Gopinath Munde
The mortal remains of Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde, who died in a road accident in Delhi, were flown to Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
Munde's liver ruptured, cardiac arrest due to shock: Post-mortem report
Union minister Gopinath Munde's liver was ruptured in the road accident and he suffered a cardiac arrest due to shock, as per preliminary post-mortem report by a team of doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
8 politicians who died in tragic accidents
Indian politicians who lost their lives in tragic accidents
RIP Gopinath Munde: Leaders pay tribute
Minutes after Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde passed away in AIIMS Hospital in Delhi after a road accident, ministers from across the political spectrum paid tribute to the minister.
Minister Gopinath Munde killed in road accident
Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde died in a road accident while on his way to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Blue Star: The military operation that SHOOK India
Thirty years ago almost to the day, an event in Punjab shook India to its very foundations. Called Operation Blue Star, it was a military exercise to flush out terrorists from the Golden Temple, the holiest of holy Sikh shrines in Amritsar, Punjab.
10 powerful monarchs who command respect
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the remaining monarchs in the world today.
June 02, 2014
Sexual abuse reported in Maharashtra's children's shelter
Sexual abuse is not the first instance of misconduct that has emerged from the residential school run by the Chandraprabha Charitable Trust in Karjat, reports Devidas Deshpande.
Badaun sisters' rape: Police fire water cannons at BJP protesters
Protesting the lack of law and order in the state and the rapes in the state, BJP workers stormed the streets, demanding the ouster of the Akhilesh Yadav government. Sharat Pradhan reports.
Kedarnath all set to get a makeover
The restoration work of the Kedarnath shrine, which was destroyed in last year's floods, will be done by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Inside Kejriwal and Co's new game plan
After the Delhi mistake and the Lok Sabha setback, the Aam Aadmi Party looks to reinvent itself. Manavi Kapur and Somesh Jha deconstruct its game plan
Why 35 lakh Hyderabadis are not celebrating
People in India's newest state Telangana may be celebrating. But 35 lakh residents of state capital Hyderabad, who hail from the Seema-Andhra region, life seems to have become "different".
PHOTOS: Telangana celebrates statehood
A look at the celebrations in Telangana, India's newest states.
AWESOME photographs of the month: May
We present some of the best photographs clicked across the globe in the month of January, 2014.
May 31, 2014
Gandhis continue to be whipped
Congress cadres are lamenting that Sonia Gandhi abdicated her authority to vice president Rahul Gandhi, who, in turn, "in his wisdom, abdicated his authority to non-political players". Rediff.com contributor reports
Dust Storm: Water and power woes in Delhi; toll rises
The death toll in the powerful dust storm has increased to 14 even as many areas in the New Delhi remained without electricity for over 24 hours due to delay in restoration of damaged power transmission lines.
May 30, 2014
IN PHOTOS: Freak storm hits Delhi, kills 9
Dust storm and rains have hit New Delhi. Temperatures have dipped bringing huge relief after a relentless heat wave.
Where did the Muslim vote go?
Some of it was squandered on a futile opposition, the youth rooted for Modi's promise. But a recent statement from minority affairs minister questioning the minority tag may damage BJP's prospects.
PICS: Indian Americans declared co-champions of Scripps Spelling Bee
For the first time in 52 years, in the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, two boys were co-champions -- and you bet, they were Indian Americans.
This is no way to treat a martyred soldier's widow
After battling government apathy for 7 years, Subhashini Vasanth, the widow of Colonel Vasanth, seems close to getting justice. reports
PHOTOS: Sydney's spectacular festival of lights
Key spots in Sydney were all lit up in various colours and patterns as part of the VIVID light festival. The 18-day festival will see various spots lit up in galactic-inspired designs, surreal snakeskin and multi-coloured digital patterns.
May 29, 2014
Is this power crisis or punishment? 
Are people in large parts of Uttar Pradesh facing the brunt of having rejected the Samajwadi Party in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections?
Maya Angelou passes away: Her life in PHOTOS
Maya Angelou, the celebrated poet, writer and activist who rose from a childhood of poverty in Arkansas to become an American literary icon, died on Wednesday morning at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the age of 86. The author of the famous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings leaves behind a towering legacy and will be remembered above all as the people's poet.
PM Modi to ministers: Set a 100-day agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled his top 10 policy priorities, seeking to unblock an investment logjam and setting deadlines for action in order to revive the economy.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
We bring you a fresh collection of offbeat, quirky stories from around the world.
7 of Modi's Cabinet ministers are not even graduates
Rediff.com lists Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 23 Cabinet ministers and their educational qualifications.
FAQ: Why is Article 370 so contentious?
Wondering what Article 370 is all about and why it is it so contentious? Read this FAQ.
May 28, 2014
REWIND: 10 BEST images of the last 48 hours
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 48 hours.
'The Modi-led BJP govt is on global terror radar'
'The new government should be careful in handling homegrown terrorism (Naxalism included), but not through outright repressive measures,' Animesh Roul, executive director, Society for Study of Peace and Conflict, tells .
Decoding: How Modi picked his 'mantris'
In the formation of the council of ministers, the compulsions of keeping the party leaders and alliance partners happy took precedence over the goal of rationalising existing ministries
May 27, 2014
IN PHOTOS: Modi sarkar goes to officePrime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office on Tuesday, a day after being sworn-in by President Pranab Mukherjee.
'Modi is going to win over his harshest opponents'
'What Modi is doing is actually the start of a new freedom movement. It is freedom from the colonial mindset that never left us. Modi as prime minister is the beginning of a more inclusive politics. There will be no pandering to sectional agendas.'
PHOTOS: 10 moments from Modi's swearing-in
Some interesting moments from the swearing-in...
May 26, 2014
BJP spokespersons who missed out on ministerial posts
These men and women have been the voice of the party, spelling out the BJP's official position on various subjects. They, however, could not find a place in the Narendra Modi ministry.
Celebrations galore as Modi sits on PM chair
Celebrations erupted in the national capital and other parts of the country as Narendra
World leaders look forward to work with Modi-led government
United States President Barack Obama on Monday congratulated Narendra Modi on being sworn-in as India's 15th prime minister and said he looks forward to working with the new leader to strengthen the strategic partnership.
Narendra Modi, Mr Prime Minister
Marking the beginning of a new era in Indian politics, Narendra Modi was on Monday sworn in prime minister at the head of a 45-member coalition government after the elections threw the first government with absolute majority in 30 years.
In PHOTOS: PM NaMo and his team take oath
Narendra Modi on Moday took oath as India's 15th prime minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
PHOTOS: The 7 women in team Modi
The new Narendra Modi Cabinet has seven women ministers in its fold.
PIX: 40 killed, 150 hurt as Gorakhdham Express rams into goods train
At least 40 passengers were killed and over 150 injured as the Gorakhdham Express, which runs between the cities of Gorakhpur and Hisar via Delhi, rammed into a goods train at Chureb railway station in Sant Kabir Nagar district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning.
IN PHOTOS: NO place for these leaders in Team Modi 
The buzz is all about Narendra Modi's team of 44, who made it and who did not. The prime minister elect had made some surprise omissions. Here's a look at those who were kept out.
IN PHOTOS: Meet Modi's council of ministers
The who's who of world politics, Bollywood and business attended the Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday evening.
IN PHOTOS: Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan to thank troops
United States President Barack Obama on Monday made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to thank American troops and civilians for their service ahead of the final pullout of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops from the war-torn country.
A wish list for Narendra Modi
Now that the tears of triumph have been wiped away, and all the top leaders of the neighbourhood invited for the prime minister's inaugural on Monday, everyone has a wish list for what Narendra Modi should do. Modi wants 10 years to transform the face of India, but there are things he can accomplish in 10 months or even 10 weeks. Here are some he could do straightaway.
May 25, 2014
Rashtrapati Bhavan ready for Modi's swearing-in
The swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the 15th Prime Minister of India will be the biggest event so far to have been staged at Rashtrapati Bhavan with the guest list, which includes key leaders from SAARC countries, set to cross the 4,000 mark.
May 23, 2014
RARE PHOTOS: From Nehru to Modi
The story of India's prime ministers from 1947, told in photographs.
From Vadnagar to 7 RCR: Modi's amazing journey
As a little child, no one expected him to climb the political ladder in such a fashionable manner. However, almost 65 years later, Narendra Modi will become the 14th prime minister of India.
Anger is building up within the Congress!
Anger is building up within the party at the manner in which the leadership is unwilling to act after the defeat. What is certain is that more and more people are likely to speak out.
WATCH: What happens when Obama decides to walk to work
Here's what happened when United States President Barack Obama decided to take a stroll.
Modi displeased by lobbying: BJP sources
Efforts to tout technocrats as handling key ministerial portfolios have been deeply resented, reports
PHOTOS: The spectacular world beyond ours
Rediff.com brings for its readers some of the best images of the outer world provided by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and leading astronomers.
DON'T MISS: NaMo's interviews to Rediff.com
Narendra Modi has probably given Rediff.com more interviews than he has any other news outlet. From his early days as BJP general secretary to after becoming the most powerful politician in India... Check them out!
May 22, 2014
Pizza delivery by drone irks Mumbai cops
The usage of unmanned drone for the first time in India by a Mumbai-based pizza shop for delivery has come under the scanner of the Mumbai police, which will seek an explanation from the outlet as to why it did not inform them before carrying out the experiment.
The curious case of a party in disarray
The signs of discontent are very visible among Congressmen these days.
And Monika More begins her new journey...
'In the days after the accident, Monika would be very quiet and keep to herself. Every time a relative met her, she would break down. But now, she started talking a lot more. She even laughs.' 16-year-old Monika More, who lost her arms in a tragic train accident, starts rebuilding her life.
PHOTOS: The world's 10 quirkiest museums
Ever wondered what an elephant's phallus looks like or want to know the history of gelato? In honour of International Museum Day, on May 18, here's a look at the wackiest, weirdest and quirkiest museums across the world.
'Black Swan' polls: Modi's road to Parliament through 11 states
The difference in the seats won by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Hindi and non-Hindi states is the highest in India's electoral history, notes Praveen Chakravarty.
May 21, 2014
Meet the new no-nonsense woman chief minister of Gujarat
Anandiben Patel, who succeeds Narendra Modi as the new Gujarat chief minister, is seen as a disciplinarian and hard taskmaster who puts a premium on probity, qualities often associated with her predecessor.
Patnaik: From political novice to four-time chief minister
After winning 117 of the 147 assembly seats and 20 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, the BJD chief was sworn in as CM on Wednesday, becoming the first in the state to be sworn in for the fourth straight year.
How Modi should ensure India sees 'acche din'
chalks out a detailed six-point agenda for the new National Democratic Alliance government led by Narendra Modi.
Modi resigns, Anandiben Patel to be new CM of Gujarat
Gujarat Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel was on Wednesday elected leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party Legislature Party, who will succeed PM-designate Narendra Modi as chief minister of the state.
Now in PMO, dhokla, khakra will be eaten, says Modi in farewell speech
On Monday, he will be sworn in as the prime minister of India. Before that, on Wednesday, an emotional Narendra Modi bid farewell to the Gujarat assembly.
'It's important to change the image of politics and politicians'
Moon Moon Sen, the Trinamool Congress candidate, contesting from Bankura in West Bengal pulled off a major upset when she went defeated the formidable nine-time member of Parliament Basudev Acharia from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
PHOTOS: Worst floods in 120 years sweep the Balkans
The Balkan countries of Serbia and Bosnia have been battered by the worst floods in the last 120 years in the region. Almost four million people have been affected by the floods.
PHOTOS: When I met Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi met and interacted with thousands of people. A few fortunate people have had the opportunity of sharing a moment with the prime minister-designate.
May 20, 2014
PHOTOS: When Modi first stepped into Parliament 
It was an emotional day for prime minister-designate Narendra Modi, a day of many firsts. It was the first time he stepped into the Parliament and at meeting held at the central hall he was elected the leader of the National Democratic Alliance.
The future looks bleak for Raj Thackeray's MNS
Raj Thackeray's decision to support Modi as PM did not appeal voters. reports from Mumbai.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
Here's your weekly dose of some of the most bizarre news stories from around the world; from pricey doughnuts to Martians being baptised.
NDA chooses Modi as its leader
Elected leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Party, Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that the Lok Sabha election results represents a new hope for the common man and dedicated his government for the uplift of the poor, oppressed and deprived.
May 19, 2014
PIX: New navy chief says steps taken to prevent future mishaps
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan on Monday said all recent incidents involving assets of the navy have been thoroughly analysed and all standard operating procedures are being followed.
Served cocktails, white rum to Salman and friends: Hit-and-run witness 
A waiter, who is a witness in the 2002 hit-and-run case, said that he had served alcohol to the actor and his friends on the same night that the star allegedly ran over a group of people sleeping on the pavement in Mumbai's suburban Bandra, killing one and injuring four.
2014 LS election historic for both BJP and Cong
The 2014 Lok Sabha election saw the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Narendra Modi storm to power at the Centre with a "triple century", giving the National Democratic Alliance an unexpected 336 seats in the Lok Sabha .
Not just Rahul, Sonia, entire CWC may quit
Congress Working Committee members could offer their resignation at its meeting on Monday in the wake of the party's worst-ever performance in the Lok Sabha polls, amid indications that it could witness an attack on advisors of party vice president Rahul Gandhi while insulating him from criticism.
Shatrughan Sinha: Message for minorities is to join the mainstream
Veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha speaks to on his Lok Sabha win from Patna Saheb, his allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party and what minority communities can expect from Modi Sarkar.
PHOTOS: World's BIGGEST dinosaur discovered 
Move over T-rex, scientists have discovered the bones of the world's biggest dinosaur, as heavy as 14 African elephants and equal to a seven-storey building, in Argentina
Meet the wonder woman who will fill Modi's shoes
With Narendra Modi ready to move to New Delhi, the chief minister's post is vacant in Ahmedabad. Anandiben Patel is the odds-on favourite for the post
The 16th Lok Sabha will have just 61 women MPs
The country on Friday elected 543 Members of Parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha. Here is a brief profile of the MPs gender, age, education and professional profiles.
May 17, 2014
GRAPHICS: The final VERDICT
${commonObj.replaceXmlEntities(${object.slideBaseDetail.abstract_report})}
PHOTOS: Finally, a Ganga 'aarti' for Modi in Varanasi 
After New Delhi, Narendra Modi's next stop was Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh constituency, which voted him to the Parliament.
'Yeh selection hai sher ka!'
Chants of "Modi, Modi" are heard as he makes his way through the jostling crowd, showered by rose petals. captures the mood at 11, Ashoka Road.
Phata poster, nikla zero: The 9 hapless parties
A look at the parties that failed to open their accounts.
VOTE! The biggest FLOP of Election 2014
If their voters haven't spared them, why should we? Kindly take the poll at the last slide and let us know who do you think is the biggest flop of this election.
Credit of win goes to 125 cr Indians: Modi after Delhi roadshow
India's prime minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi on Saturday morning to a grand welcome ahead of a meet with the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership.
May 16, 2014
Riding on Modi wave, BJP and allies set to cross 300 seats
Narendra Modi on Friday stormed to power at the Centre giving the Bharatiya Janata Party its highest-ever tally in the Lok Sabha elections, securing for the party a majority on its own and in the process handing out the worst-ever defeat to the Congress.
In Chennai, party offices tell the story 
While the Congress and DMK headquarters bore a desolate look with party supporters shocked at their dismal performance, the AIADMK and BJP offices were in a celebratory mood. Ladoos, drums playing and dancing on the streets were seen outside the party headquarters. Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com presents the different scenes.
10 TOP quotes from Narendra Modi's victory speech
Foreign Heads of State and governments on Friday congratulated Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on his party's victory in the Lok
Celebrity candidates: Who made it, who didn't
Rediff.com takes a look at some popular faces, who fought Election 2014 and here's the verdict on them.
12 parties that DID NOT impress voters
While trends suggest a whopping 340 seats for the NDA -- a direct endorsement for BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi -- the results have also showed a clear drubbing for some of the biggest political forces in the country.
Congress workers: 'We did nothing wrong'
After months of campaigning, it has all come down to this. Workers of the Congress party and BJP have congregated at the counting centre in Goregaon, Mumbai, to get a firsthand report of how their parties have performed.
PHOTOS: NaMo bhakts party on the streets
Narendra Modi is all set to be the next prime minister with the Bharatiya Janata Party eyeing majority on its own, wresting power from Congress which is on the path of recording its worst ever performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
New York's Times Square resounds to 'Modi, Modi!'
NaMo supporters in New York and New Jersey step out to celebrate the BJP's election victory, reports Aseem Chhabra.
Modi: The remarkable journey of India's next prime minister
For Narendra Modi, the man who will be India's next prime minister, it has been a remarkable journey to the top during which he has been pilloried by his critics and adored by his supporters who believe he will pull India out of the rut.
India's new self-made prime minister
'Counting the votes of allies, the NDA tally would barely exceed 200 million, or just a quarter of the number of eligible voters. That should give pause to the euphoric new ruling dispensation. It has a fair distance to go yet if it wishes to shed the tag of right-wing Hindu nationalist party in any meaningful way.'
India has won! Acche din ane wale hai: PM-in-waiting Modi
"India has won! Good days are ahead," Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said on Friday in his first reaction to the poll trends that indicate an impending BJP victory in the Lok Sabha polls.
'What wave? This is a NaMo tsunami'
This is how Bharatiya Janata Party worker Savita Mehta, vice president of the BJP Delhi Mahila Morcha described the outcome of the 2014 election.
Video: Modi saris, Modi laddoos!That India is in the grip of Modi mania is evident. Why else would Modi saris and laddoos sell like the proverbial hot cakes? PHOTOS: BJP readies for victory lap in New Delhi, Cong sulks
Rediff.com's Reuben NV captures the contrast in moods from the party headquarters in the national capital.
The BIG winners and losers of Lok Sabha 2014 
As counting is on for 543 Lok Sabha, here's a look at where heavyweights in the fray and where they stand.
Every vote counts; India gives its verdict today
Votes polled in the nine-phased Lok Sabha elections will be counted on Friday to decide who will form the next government.
May 15, 2014
IN PHOTOS: At 89, N D Tiwari ties the knot
Veteran Congress leader Narayan Dutt Tiwari has married Ujjawala Sharma, mother of his biological son Rohit Shekhar with whom he was involved in a six-year-old legal battle.
The poll finale: Key players to watch out for
We've almost reached the finishing line of the world's biggest and most multi-faceted democratic race, and on the eve of the grand finale of counting, we take a look at the likely key players who will shape the political future of the country.
Will the Nehrus lose their grip over the Congress?
Despite best efforts to protect Rahul Gandhi, doubts will persist about his ability to take charge. It has been privately acknowledged for some time now by Congress insiders that Rahul Gandhi just does not have what it takes to lead the party.
'New govt should instill confidence in Muslims while fighting terror'
V Balachandran, former special secretary, cabinet secretariat, Government of India and a member of Ram Pradhan Committee on 26/11, talks to Rediff.com's on how Narendra Modi, if comes to power on Friday, should tackle terror.
Manmohan, the humble man who never got his due
Manmohan Singh, the economist credited with playing a key role in ushering in economic reforms in the 1990s, demits office of Prime Minister after 10 years, leaving a mixed legacy of achievements and failures.
Modi as PM: What his horoscope says 
Well-known astrologer Prem C Sharma reads the astrological charts of both Narendra Modi Rahul Gandhi, and tells us what to expect.
'Democracy is a government by the grumblers'
'Certainly it is a fascinating election, even if he becomes prime minister. What is fascinating is how, suddenly -- with the feeling that Modi may win -- perfectly intelligent people with integrity jumped ship.'
May 14, 2014
What China thinks about Modi, the PMAs exit polls pointed to the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the general elections, a leading Chinese daily on Wednesday expressed hope that the new government likely to be headed by Narendra Modi will be 'pragmatic' towards China while adopting a tougher line on the border dispute and Tibet.
Mayawati deeply worried after last phase of polling
The BSP boss has left no stone unturned in running down Narendra Modi, particularly in the context of Muslims and OBCs. A large chunk of the 'most backwards' among the OBCs had been part of her vote bank. What also made her anxious were reports of a sudden shift of a section of Dalits from the BSP to Modi.
Why Manmohan sarkaar wasn't really bekaar
The unsurprising descent of India's most successful government
Horror underground: Explosion in Turkey coal mine kills 201
A coal-mine explosion in Western Turkey killed at least 201 workers in the nation's worst mining accident in more than two decades and rescuers raced to try to free hundreds more miners trapped underground.
'Modi has no stomach for dissent'
'The real leader is not the one who builds flyovers and bridges. The real leader gets into the space of the human hearts which are at war and brings them together.'
Arun Jaitley foreign minister, Swaraj defence?
Lutyens' Delhi is agog about the possible shape of a Narendra Modi Cabinet.
May 13, 2014
The 200 kidnapped girls who shook the world
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has left the world dismayed with the kidnap of 257 schoolgirls from a secondary school. The abductions have spurred a global online #BringBackOurGirls campaign, with the hashtag hitting over a million. But the plight of the girls continues to haunt Africa's most populous nation. The story so far...
Can Google fix an election?
Altering Google search results can pose a real threat to democracy as it has a major impact on the voting preferences of undecided voters and could swing a close election, according to a new landmark study analysing the just concluded Lok Sabha polls in India.
8 reasons why a surprise awaits Modi down south
South India is likely to give surprise verdict. Senior Delh-based journalist K G Suresh analyses if Modi matters
Arun Jaitley: Manmohan will remain a man of credibility
As curtains draw to a close and a 10-year-long period of providing leadership to the government of India, the prime minister goes out with dignity and grace.
5 states that matter the most to Modi
This time, BJP is keen to make a decisive mark, either on its own or with help from allies
May 12, 2014
Exit polls: 249-290 seats to NDA, 101-148 to UPA, 146-156 to others
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is projected to form the government at the Centre with exit polls on Monday night giving between 249 and 290 seats to the Narendra Modi-led grouping, which is close to the half-way mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
52 men to guard Shinde and daughter!
A combined total of 812 police officers and security personnel have been deployed for the security of 84 VIPs in Maharashtra, with 52 men accorded to guard only Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his MLA daughter, a RTI query revealed here.
IN PHOTOS: The best from the last day of polling 
Here are some glimpses of the polling from the last rounds of elections.
'The Muslims have been betrayed many times'
'We cannot forget 2002. We cannot forget Modi's approach nor can we believe him.'
'No everlasting peace in J&K without Kashmiri Pandits'
'As long as you are talking about Adivasis in Bastar or the brutalisation of the State nobody raises an eyebrow. But the moment you talk about Kashmiri Pandits -- after all, we were a religious minority in Kashmir -- and how they being in a minority were targeted it doesn't go down well and no one speaks about it.'
Polling day tales: Varanasi is glad it's over finally
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, who has extensively covered Election 2014, reports from Varanasi on voting day
When Sonia saw her own wedding card in Rae Bareli
'We believe in God and I know nothing bad will happen here as long as the Congress is in power. I was born in Rae Bareli, I am the third generation of Nathans from this place,' Basil Nathan, whose mother Victoria was a member of the AICC and close to Indira Gandhi, tells Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com
It's official! India sets new record with 66.38% voter turnout
The marathon Lok Sabha elections, one of the most bitterly fought in recent memory, will come to a close on Monday as polling began in 41 constituencies in three states where stakes are high for BJP and regional parties Trinamool Congress, SP and BSP.
May 11, 2014
Modi's campaign 'historic' and 'unprecedented' says BJP
${commonObj.replaceXmlEntities(${object.slideBaseDetail.abstract_report})}
May 10, 2014
'I came to campaign for Modi in Varanasi, not the BJP'
As the election campaign for the 16th Lok Sabha drew to a close on Saturday, May 10, Varanasi looked like a city undergoing an exodus.
Muscle...Muslims...and Rahul's marriage...
Even as Rahul Gandhi lays a dirt-lined foot on the lower step of the ladder, someone behind me says, "Rahul should get married now."
Prakash Jha hopes to end election jinx in W Champaran
Prakash Jha, famous for his socio-political films like "Gangaajal", "Rajneeti" and "Satyagraha", is hoping to be third time lucky by unseating sitting Member of Parliament Sanjay Jaiswal of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Paschim Champaran Lok Sabha seat in Bihar.
PHOTOS: Rahul's 'answer to Modi' roadshow in Varanasi
Days after Narendra Modi took on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, the Congress vice president retaliated on Saturday by campaigning on the last day in Varanasi, where the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate is in the fray.
May 09, 2014
'Modi is contesting from every seat in this election'
'I want to ask Giriraj Singh why should we go to Pakistan when we are natives of Hindustan?
'You see a Modi wave only when you sit and watch TV at home'
'Narendra Modi is surviving on advertisements, the media and his money power,' Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia tells Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com.
Kejriwal shows Modi that he too can draw crowds
After Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday held an impressive roadshow in Varanasi and derided the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate for resorting to "helicopter and corrupt politics".
Lonely Nitish seeks 'mazdoori' from Bihar's voters for work done
Facing a tough electoral challenge, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seeking his 'mazdoori' (wages) in the form of votes for his work 'in ensuring peace and harmony, development and establishing the rule of law that brought about a marked change' in the state.
Varanasi's Muslims: Split between 'neta' and 'ajooba'
Although Muslims in Varanasi are clearly disconcerted by Narendra Modi's Hindutva agenda and are fearful of the future, they believe his emergence on the national political stage will not disturb the famous 'Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.'
PIX: Party men rev it up in the final leg of Varanasi campaign
Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com bring you glimpses from one of India's holiest cities which will vote for its representative on May 12.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
Here's your weekly digest of the most Weird, True and Funny News from the across the globe.
May 08, 2014
'Modi hasn't taken a dip in the Ganga... How can he clean it?'
'Next time a BJP supporter asks you to vote for the BJP with the promise of Modi working wonders, just ask them if they have met Modi? Did they ever get to meet Modi, shake hands with him? Modi comes by helicopter and says he will clean the Ganga. How can anybody who hasn't taken a dip in the Ganga even know how dirty the water is?'
Varanasi vendetta: BJP protesters take over city
The Bharatiya Janata Party versus Election Commission row escalated on Thursday with party workers protesting outside the Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi.
Is the Gandhi magic disappearing from Amethi?
For a constituency that has voted for the Nehru family time and again, little has changed on the ground. The people of Amethi tell that they will vote for the Congress, but teach Rahul a lesson.
Modi-f(r)ied! Give us WHACKY captions As the largest democratic exercise in the world nears its end, Rediff.com puts across a set of interesting photos to its readers to caption.
May 07, 2014
Amethi has destroyed Sonia, Rahul's pride: Modi
Narendra Modi on Wednesday claimed that the electorate of Amethi has destroyed the pride of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and forced the latter to go around with folded hands in the constituency, which he would otherwise not visit in five years.
What's Rahul doing inside Amethi poll booths?
The Congress vice-president reached Fursatganj air strip in Amethi on Wednesday morning and then made his way to several booths in the area.
Hope in the time of Modi in Ayodhya
The realities at the nerve centre of the Ram Janambhoomi movement are lack of development, rampant unemployment and 12 hour-long power cuts. Most residents hope Narendra Modi will change the situation in Ayodhya.
IN PHOTOS: What's the mood in Amethi today? 
Rediff.com captures the mood from Amethi and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Baramulla and Ladakh in Jammu Kashmir.
In Varanasi, chai pe charcha is just about Modi
These days, a good dose of Narendra Modi is served along with piping hot cup of tea at Varanasi's favourite melting pot, Pappu ki Adi. Differing voices are silenced at once, discovers .
Want to win an 8-day trip to Alaska? Click HERE
The grand-prize winner will receive an eight-day National Geographic expedition to Alaska for two
Why Amethi's 10,000 women will vote for Rahul 
While grinding poverty remains in Amethi, the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna, an umbrella body of 1,200 self-help groups, has helped several women feed their families.
Will Rahul Gandhi lose in Amethi?
Walking around Amethi barely gives the feel of a VVIP constituency. Could years of neglect cost the Gandhi Parivar its bastion? finds out.
Round 8: Polling held in 64 seats including Seemandhra, AmethiHaving won in 2009 nearly half of the 64 seats going to polls in the penultimate round, the Congress appears to face a difficult task as people in the whole of Seemandhra, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand lined up to cast their vote in the Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday.
May 06, 2014
Drunk Salman was behind the wheel: Hit-and-run eyewitnesses
In a major setback to actor Salman Khan, two eyewitnesses in the 2002 hit-and-run case said that they saw him getting out of his car and fleeing after he had run over a group of people sleeping on the pavement in Mumbai's suburban Bandra killing one and injuring four.
Terrorists and their political 'godfathers'
The relationship between terror operatives and politicians is a murky one. Rediff.com's explores
PHOTOS: Meet Britain's first lady submariners
Three women have become the first female submariners in the 110-year history of United Kingdom's Submarine Service, 24 years after the Royal Navy first allowed women to go to sea.
'Modi as PM is both good and bad news for Indo-Pak relations'
'Modi would not restrain himself if India suffered a major terror attack traced back to Pakistani terrorists. He has suggested this; his aides have suggested this; and the BJP's election manifesto has suggested this.'
PHOTOS: Rang Barse, New York style
Holi may have come, soaked millions of revellers in a riot of colours and gone in March. But over the last couple of years, the Brooklyn borough of New York City has kept the party going.
The Narendra Modi interview: 'We will empower minorities with education'
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi dispels doubts about him and his policies in a conversation with Urdu weekly Nai Duniya's Chief Editor Shahid Siddiqui.
'Rahul is a national bojh, Modi's model is Mr India'
'If you remove the Gandhi tag behind his name, Rahul is not fit to become even a clerk anywhere.'
'I was scared for his safety, but the army was his life'
Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com meets the parents of Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was killed during an operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on April 25.
May 05, 2014
'I want to build India starting from Amethi'
Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family as he campaigned for his 'sister' Smriti Irani in Amethi. In his hour-long speech, he told people that he would bring about change and help people realise their dream.
Top 10 quotes from Modi's Amethi speech 
Narendra Modi stormed Rahul Gandhi bastion Amethi today and launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi parivaar. Here are 10 top quotes from his hour-long speech
'Politics must never fall to a level that you hate each other'
'Why did Varun Gandhi run away from Pilibhit? He leaves the constituency which he wins by a 300,000 margin and remembers his father's constituency in the second election?'
No neta campaigns in the village that had this horrid tragedy
Monday is the last day of campaigning in Gandaman where 23 children died after eating a school meal, but no leader has found time to campaign among the villagers. Archana Masih/Rediff.com returns to the lonely village in Bihar.
'India's political deterioration began with Gandhi'
'Nehru knew he could not become the ruler of India unless he had Gandhi's blessing. Gandhi declared that Nehru was his political successor. He said, after his death, Nehru would speak his language. That was a kind of manipulation Gandhi did.'
No reason why my mother won't win: Raima Sen
Election 2014 has been an eye-opener for Raima Sen. The stunning actress, who has been campaigning relentlessly for her mother, Moon Moon, in Bankura, West Bengal, explains why she feels humbled by the love her family has received.
The pandit Sonia always meets 
"You have no idea how well versed she is with Indian tradition. The way she covers her head, does aarti, listens to the shlokas... You cannot see Western culture in her."
First look: Year after Himalayan tsunami, Kedarnath temple reopens
Sacred portals of the Kedarnath temple were reopened to devotees amid elaborate rituals early on Sunday morning, about a year after the Himalayan shrine was marred by flash floods that had left hundreds of people dead and many others stranded.
20 INCREDIBLE images of the month: April
We present some of the best photographs clicked across the globe in the month of April
Priyanka will only get TRPs, not change fortune of Congress: Amit Shah
Narendra Modi's right-hand man and Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh in-charge Amit Shah speaks to IBN18 Network Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai about the Modi wave, the snoopgate and more. Excerpts from the interview
May 04, 2014
Amethi's Sunday 'dhamaka': The Rahul-Priyanka roadshow
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday held an impressive roadshow in family pocket borough Amethi as a huge crowd chanted slogans praising the Congress vice-president who has been representing the constituency for the past 10 years.
PHOTOS: 17 killed, 120 hurt after train derails in Maharashtra's Raigad
At least 12 people were killed and 30 injured when a passenger train derailed on Konkan Railway route in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Sunday.
Assam violence: Locals in Salbari refuse to bury the dead
Demanding that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi visit their area, people of Salbari in Assam's violence-hit Baksa district on Sunday refused to bury their kin killed in attacks by National Democratic Front of Bodoland-S militants.
May 03, 2014
Afghanistan landslide kills 350, hundreds missing
A landslide triggered by heavy rain buried about a third of the remote northeastern Afghan village of Hobo Barik on Friday, killing at least 350 people.
May 02, 2014
'Violation of model code of conduct has been rampant this election'
There is no exception for any candidate or political party when it comes to the law, be it the Representation of the People Act, the Indian Penal Code or the model code of conduct, SY Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner tells Rediff.com contributor
Uttam's Take: Soldier, will it be NaMo or Na Mo? 
Even as Narendra Modi goes about claiming a wave in his favour and the rest of the political class goes about denying it, the soldier manning the borders of the country hardly has the luxury of being part of the political discourse.
Are your household expenses rising? Check HERERediff.com's data journalists have visualised the National Sample Survey Office (NSS 66th round, July 2009-June 2010 and 68th round, July 2011-June 2012) data into an interactive map. Dirty books on my family are being distributed in Amethi: Priyanka
In a veiled attack on Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi on Friday said there is a leader in the country who wants power for himself and makes repeated demands to strengthen him.
Chennai blasts: Modi was not the target
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa tracks the leads in the investigation into Thursday's terror attack in Chennai.
'Modi! Modi! Modi!' What it is like to attend a Modi rally
Under a blazing sun, Narendra Modi attacks the Ma-Beta and Lalu Yadav; invokes his tea boy's journey; and asks the youth for a mauka...
PHOTOS: Inside the 'Osama bin Laden' bar
A bar owner in Brazil who looks like Osama bin Laden is expecting business to boom when the crowds come for the World Cup.
'Daughter' row: Modi's office releases DD interview footage
Seeking to put to rest the controversy over Narendra Modi's remarks about Priyanka Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate's office has released the full interview that was edited out by Doordarshan.
Weird but True: Festival of the witches
Legend has it that on Walpurgisnacht or May Eve, witches fly their broomsticks to meet the devil at the summit of the Brocken Mountain in Harz, Germany.
May 01, 2014
Chennai blasts: 'How could God take away our child like this?'
In a cruel twist of fate, 22-year-old techie Swati fell victim to the twin bomb blasts on the Bangalore-Guwahati train just two months before she was to tie the nuptial knot.
Chennai blasts: 'Many ran out of the train; there was confusion'
It was chaos all around at the Chennai Central Railway Station as passengers ran out of the Guwahati-Bangalore Express in panic soon after the two bombs went off in the coaches of the train.
PHOTOS: Defiant militia strike again in Ukraine
The spiralling crisis in Ukraine has resulted in Russia and the United States stepping up the rhetoric as defiant pro-Russian militant took control of key buildings in the country's chaotic east.
April 30, 2014
Srinagar:1 killed in clash between mob and security forces
A 25-year old youth was killed and another wounded when security forces opened fire in the old city at the end of days polling in the prestigious Srinagar parliamentary constituency.
'Progress is for big people, not small people'
Is the Gujarat model of development in evidence all across Vadodara?
Amethi: The house where the Gandhis live
'I know a lot of gossip, but I will take these secrets to my grave,' Majid, who owns a paan-beedi shop across the road from the guesthouse that Rahul Gandhi stays at in Munshiganj when he visits Amethi, tells
BIG guns get 'inked' in crucial round 7 of polls
BJP leader L K Advani described this year's Lok Sabha polls as the "most remarkable
Move over, the Oscar selfie! The Narendra Modi selfie is here
Minutes after he cast his vote in Ahmedabad, Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi clicked selfies with on his cellphone flashing his inked finger and his party symbol, the lotus. The Twitter-savvy Modi later posted the photo on the micro-blogging website saying, "Voted! Here is my selfie."
'My remark that Muslims won us Kargil should have been saluted'
'In every five-star hotel where the BJP is ruling, cow meat is sold. Narendra Modi isn't angry about these things... Muslims are ready to go to this extent for the nation, just give us a chance. Do recognise our love for the country and don't call us traitors. It's an abuse to us... They say people who do not support Modi must go to Pakistan. But what action is taken against people who propagate this?' The destruction of Muslims will destroy India. The progress of Muslims will make India a successful country.'
Hyderabad's new hero: Youth who stopped Chiranjeevi for jumping voters' queue
An embarrassed Union Minister K Chiranjeevi beat a hasty retreat on Wednesday after a youth objected to his jumping the queue to cast his vote in a polling booth in Hyderabad.
'The Kolis are the 'new factor' in Saurashtra politics'
In Saurashtra, a region that sends 7 MPs to Parliament, four Koli candidates have been fielded by the Congress and three by the BJP. These numbers offer clear indication of how the scales are tilting in favour of the dominant caste in Bhavnagar and Saurashtra. "The Kolis in this region can no longer be ignored," says Kunwarjibhai Bavaliya, the Congress MP from Rajkot, a Koli.
'Sonia Gandhi has created robots'
'She has kept them poor so that they spend all their time keeping body and soul together and when the time comes to vote, they blindly vote for her. Had they prospered, they would have had the time to think. She wants the mindset to remain the same. It's the perfect vote bank, but that will change,' Ajay Aggarwal, the BJP's candidate in Rae Bareli, tells Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com
The city of 1.637 million Modis
The BJP has 10,000 registered members in Vadodara and their most important strategy has been to pay special attention to the electoral list, which runs to 25,000 pages, with between 45 and 48 voter names per page. For each page, one resident on the page has been chosen the page pramukh whose job it is to mobilise the other 44 to 47 names on the page to vote for Modi.
PIX: Stakes high as crucial Phase 7 of LS polls underway
About 45 per cent of the voters on Wednesday exercised their franchise in the first six hours of polling in seven states and two union territories during the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections that will decide the fate of political heavyweights like Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, L K Advani, Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi.
April 29, 2014
Why the Rajmata of Baroda supports Narendra Modi
'What other choice do we have? Surely, we can't have Rahul Gandhi. What are his credentials? He hasn't done a day's job in his life... Manmohan Singh is probably much more educated than Modi, but he could not make a good prime minister. And then, of course, there were these two power centres, which was so pathetic. It's disgraceful, the office of our prime minister has been degraded thanks to the Congress president.'
Photos: Killer tornadoes rip through US, kill 29
Flattened out homes, flipped over vehicles and dented electric poles were some of the common sights in south-central United States after tornadoes ripped through the area for a second day, bringing the death toll to 26 people.
Phase 7: The 89 seats that will go to pollsEighty-nine Lok Sabha seats spread over seven states and two Union Territories will go to polls in the seventh phase on Wednesday. Ye dil mange more; give me 300 lotuses: Modi
Amid escalating war of words, Narendra Modi on Tuesday alleged that Congress was a dhokebaaz (fraud) party and described its manifesto as dhokapatra.
Why the Boogie Woogie star is fighting an election
'Justice delayed is justice denied. "Move on, move on", sure, we'll move on, but first give us justice. The fabric and foundation of a democratic government is justice. You can't just move on, sorry. And that works for the anti-Sikh riots, the repatriation of Kashmiri Pandits; give us justice, then govern,' says Javed Jafri, the actor who will contest the Lok Sabha election in Lucknow for the Aam Aadmi Party.
Why Ali Asghar Zaveri is not welcome in Bhavnagar's Krishna Nagar
Why are Bhavnagar's Hindus preventing a Muslim trader from settling in their colony? What are the undercurrents at play even as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad fishes in troubled waters? Who is to blame for this fracas in Bhavnagar town? A report from ground zero.
DON'T MISS: Baccha party out campaigning
Rediff.com's Reuben NV, who is in Lucknow to cover the poll campaigning, came across little children at election rallies and on the streets raising slogans.
April 28, 2014
Gandhi vs Gandhi: Who will come out on top?
While the Congress vice-president fighting an anti-incumbency wave is doing all he can to wrest power in the Gandhi stronghold, Amethi, political pundits believe that his estranged cousin, Varun, riding on a strong Modi wave will sail through in Sultanpur. reports on their political battles.
PHOTOS: Hundreds pay homage to martyr Major Mukund Varadarajan
Hundreds gathered outside the Besant Nagar Crematorium in Chennai on Monday morning to pay their last respects to Major Mukund Varadarajan, who was killed along with sepoy Vikram Singh in an overnight encounter with terrorists in the Shopian district of South Kashmir on Friday.
Gandhi v/s Gandhi: Who will come out on top?While the Congress vice-president fighting an anti-incumbency wave is doing all he can to wrest power in the Gandhi stronghold, Amethi, political pundits believe that his estranged cousin, Varun, riding on a strong Modi wave will sail through in Sultanpur. Anita Katyal reports on their political battles.
Rahul a specimen; listen to him speak to relieve stress: Modi
Dubbing Rahul Gandhi as a "specimen", Narendra Modi on Monday lampooned the Congress Vice President for his "little knowledge" on Gujarat and the "falsehood" laid out in his speeches about vast job vacancies and the institution of the Lokayukta in the state.
Why Modi wasn't joking in West Bengal
Narendra Modi on Sunday promised to pack up and send back all illegal immigrants from Bangladesh if his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, comes to power.
The mysteries of 'dead' and 'deleted' voters
The election day debacle in Mumbai shows that the Election Commission's voter list data have long been suspect. Aadhaar would be a great solution for second-level authentication. Praveen Chakravarty explains
April 27, 2014
PIX: Two explosions at NC rallies in Kashmir injure 13
Two explosions during and before ruling National Conference poll rallies in Srinagar and central Kashmir's Budgam districts left 13 persons injured on Sunday.
April 26, 2014
The hills are alive with the sound of campaigning 
In Uttarakhand villages, locals have no time for radio and newspapers seldom reach them. But the voter is still aware, say villagers, and Narendra Modi seems to be the man of the moment. Rediff.com's reports
Modi would have been in jail if Lokayukta in place: Rahul in Gujarat
Stepping up his offensive against Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that there is a "partnership" between the BJP PM candidate and Adani and accused the industrialist of "funding" the Modi marketing blitz to return "favours".
Ramdev booked for Dalit honeymoon remarks
Yoga guru Ramdev was on Saturday booked by Uttar Pradesh police for his controversial remarks targeting Rahul Gandhi that drew flak from various quarters with Congress demanding that he give a public apology as he had insulted Dalits.
Trouble in Hindutva paradise?
A section of VHP is looking at the growing NaMo fever with increasing disfavour and could prove a spoiler for the Gujarat chief minister. reports
April 25, 2014
Modi, magic, and the paradoxes of Varanasi
attends Narendra Modi's rally in the temple city, and finds a people yearning for change, yet torn between affiliations and ambition
Troubled saga of the super-rich Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The interim order of the Supreme Court in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple case that virtually de-controlled the shrine from the erstwhile Travancore royal family marks clean break from the past.
PICK the most moving moment of Voting Day! 
At the end of the feature, VOTE for the photograph that you think best represents India's great democratic exercise.
Modi's now selling har ghar Hindutva
In his speeches and interviews, Modi has suggested that his becoming the PM was a foregone conclusion. reports
Making waves: Shazia Ilmi, the fiery newsmaker
Her remarks asking Muslims to be more communal have gone viral. They created a furore and made many question her thinking. However, a look into her roots shows her secular side and her spirit to always counter allegations with a smile.
PHOTOS: 500 houses gutted in massive fire in Delhi slum
A massive fire broke out in a slum cluster in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area on Friday gutting 500 jhuggis.
Congress MP: 'The Times Now interview worked against Rahul'
'A Gujarat model won't work in every part of India. We have to look at each part as unique, with needs being different from one state to another and yet we must be able to empower them and give them the kind of future the youth aspire to... The BJP has not shown what they want to do. What is their vision for this country? What are the solutions for where we have gone wrong?'
Rajiv Gandhi's killers to remain in jail for now
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the verdict in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and referred the case to a larger Constitution Bench.
When India had a consulate general in Lhasa
China has just turned down India's proposal for an Indian consulate in Lhasa, Tibet. Claude Arpi reveals how India once had a full-fledged consulate general office in Lhasa, which was shut down after the 1962 war.
WTF News! It's Weird, True and Funny
We bring you a fresh collection of some the most Weird, True and Funny News from the across the globe.
April 24, 2014
PIX: Mumbai's netas come out and vote, citizens stay indoors
Rediff.com brings you glimpses of the day's polling activity from across Mumbai.
As always, many find their names missing from voter list
Rediff.com's visits a few polling stations in Mira Road, a town located to the north of Mumbai, to listen to the voters' polling experience.
'If voting turnout is dismal, Priya Dutt will have a tough time'
Confident Muslims in the Behrampada locality in Mumbai's suburban Bandta enjoy a bit of camaraderie amid listless voters and an unforgiving sun. reports
'People refuse to believe I am not Modi'
'I'm glad I look like Modiji. Had it been any other corrupt politician, I'd have undergone plastic surgery,' Vikas Mahante, who bears such a striking resemblance to NaMo, tells Nithya Ramani.
Kejriwal beats Modi; tops TIME's most influential list
Aam Aadmi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal has won Time magazine's readers' poll of most influential people in the world, beating heavyweights including Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, a survey that turned out to be a "competition" between the two.
Mumbai gets inked: It's a bittersweet story! 
They beat the heat and queued up to cast their ballot. A few returned home flaunting their fingers; a few others dejected not to find their names on the list. Rediff.com's Savera Someshwar captures the spirit in Mumbai on voting day
Ma Ganga has called me to Varanasi, says Modi filing nomination
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday filed his nomination papers from Varanasi
'Too many slums'
How does a wealthy Bandra building society view the elections? What are the issues worrying them? Neeta Kolhatkar spends an afternoon at Le Papillon, on Mount Mary road, Bandra, north Mumbai, when the BJP Lok Sabha candidate for Mumbai North Central, Poonam Mahajan comes visiting.
Congress' SIX questions to target Modi
Gujarat chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's close ties with big corporate groups has once again come under focus with the Congress 'bringing out details' on how he distributed largesse at the cost of the state government.
'We are not a corrupt people... we are hardworking'
What Meera Sanyal has learned from her unsuccessful 2009 Lok Sabha campaign. In her own words.
'I am the most venomous speaker around. I can spew poison'
'I do spew poison against Modi and his communalism. I am deeply depressed that India is on the edge of reaching where Germany was in January 1937 when Hitler came to power through a democratic election,' Mani Shankar Aiyar tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar.
Why I voted: Young Mumbaikars flash the finger!
As Mumbai goes to vote, we asked these young folks why they stepped out to cast their vote.
'Come back after 5 years, this is how everything will still be'
For those who struggle with the realities of life every day, elections are not about scams. Or corruption. Or two power centres. They are not about the dreams of a greater, grander, India. Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar reports on the battle in the Mumbai North Central constituency, where some of India's biggest movie stars live next to slum dwellers.
PHOTOS: Jayalalithaa, Aamir, Rajni, PM line up to vote
Celebrities led the way in coming out to cast their vote during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Defeat is impossible, says this Congress MP. Is it?
Eknath Gaikwad, a three-time MLA and a two-time MP from Mumbai, hopes to to win a seat in the Lok Sabha the third time over. But his path to victory confronts more obstacles than ever before.
Sixth phase: Puducherry records 83 pc polling, Mumbai lags at 53 pcHigh voter enthusiasm on Thursday marked the sixth phase of polling covering 117 constituencies spread across 12 states as the race to the Lok Sabha crossed the half-way mark with stakes high for the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
April 23, 2014
Uttam's Take: Narendra Modi's Chai Pe Charcha
Uttam's Take: Narendra Modi's Chai Pe Charcha
Why the 'Sun' won't set in Chennai Central
For decades the Chennai Central parliamentary constituency has been voting for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and this election may not be any different, reports Rediff.com's .
Yadav bahu may be in for a surprise in Kannauj
Coming from the 'first family' of Uttar Pradesh politics has not always been a cakewalk for Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple, who is trying to shed the dynasty politics product tag and is banking on her "personal" rapport for a win in this seat in Thursday's poll.
Priyanka's jibe at Modi: Concentration of power in one person dangerous
Targeting Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday warned against the concentration of power in one person.
Taking digs at Modi, Rahul, Kejriwal files nomination from Varanasi 
Pitching his aam aadmi credentials, Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday filed his nomination for the high-profile Varanasi Lok Sabha seat and accused Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi of spending huge sums of money in the ongoing electoral battle, which he said was all about eliminating corruption.
This Spider-Man has an unusual idea to fight goondaism
Gone are the days when one was willing to give his life for freedom. I want to live, bring about change and enjoy that change, says Indian Spider-Man Gaurav Sharma, Independent candidate from Mumbai South. report
'This is MNS's big fight to the finish'
TThe MNS gameplan is to create a rift in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra, then replace the Sena in the alliance for the assembly election.
Kejriwal to file nomination from Varanasi today
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal will file his nomination for the high-profile electoral contest in Varanasi where he will face stiff challenge from BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
April 22, 2014
The big match ahead of the final showdown
The two central characters of the blockbuster 2014 elections -- Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi -- had a virtual faceoff days before the maximum city goes for the polls. Amid the blitzkrieg of charges and promises, tries to gauge the mood of the common Mumbaikar.
The 165 seats the BJP may NOT winRediff.com's data journalists have found out the constituencies that are most important to the Congress Pained by attack on husband, Priyanka says truth will prevail
Breaking her silence, a "pained" Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said her husband Robert Vadra was being targeted for political reasons and asserted that her resolve to fight back will increase the more the opponents attack.
'Modi's Gujarat model is highly undemocratic, autocratic'
'Corporates decide the development and social needs of the people in Gujarat. It is not that Modi is the new inventor of Gujarat.' Social scientist Dr P Radhakrishnan, whose new book Political Villainy, UPA's Fall, AAP's Surge hit the stands recently, discusses the implications of the 2014 election.
What Pakistan thinks about a Modi sarkaar
People in Pakistan cannot access the Bharatiya Janata Party website as the saffron party has blocked its Internet page though its high-profile prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's portal can be accessed for those who want to know about him.
'If I am cleansing Parliament, I am cleansing it for future generations'
'We are a party that represents the idea of India. That's why we have endured for so long. That's why we will continue to endure because we have the ability to endure, adapt, re-adapt... The BJP is very good at creating hype. And then believing their own hype. This happened in 2004 also. And they will know the answer on the 16th of May.'
No more irresponsible statements please: Modi to 'well-wishers'
Amid raging controversy over statements by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia, BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he disapproved of "petty" statements by those claiming to be BJP's well-wishers as they are deviating from the campaign.
Why Modi should avoid 'selfie'
The consequences of Modi's campaign can prove to be negative and his political 'dysmorphic disorder' is bound to come in the way of delivering good governance, says Bharat Bhushan
A Raja: 'I did a revolution, got branded as a criminal'
'Did you see my pamphlet?' Andimuthu Raja, the 2G scam-tainted DMK MP from Nilgiri, asks Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy. 'Two things are very clear. One, that I did not have any disproportionate wealth, as per the CBI's contention before the court. And there has been no loss to the exchequer, which has been admitted by the joint secretary. Under the Prevention of Corruption Act these two things are very important, and that has been ruled out.'
Entire Sukhoi-30MKI fleet to arrive by 2019
The delay stems from the IAF's wish to make the Su-30MKI the high-performance fighter that it eventually turned out to be. Ajai Shukla reports
Is the Sangh Parivar shifting gears?
BJP sources deny that the party is working on a plan to introduce 'communal' element at a time when LS elections are entering a crucial phase. But actions say otherwise, says Archis Mohan
April 21, 2014
GAME: Predict YOUR governmentHere's your big chance to experience the high of seeing your favourite political party breast the tape -- without waiting for the counting of votes due on May 16 WATCH: Nagma makes a big blunder
Actress-turned-Congress leader from Meerut, Nagma, put herself in a spot after she confused late Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan with Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Will Modi teach Togadia a lesson he won't forget?
If Narendra Modi really means business, his government needs to arrest Dr Togadia immediately for what he has said and done in Bhavnagar and charge him with spreading hate in our society.
Third Front a viable option if UPA falls short: Pawar
Expressing confidence that the United Progressive Alliance will retain power after the Lok Sabha elections, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said he was not averse to the idea of cobbling together a government with the Third Front should the Centre's ruling alliance fall short of a majority.
Voices: 'You have to vote -- that's our right'
With polling in Mumbai just three days away, everyone has an opinion about the next government in the country, and merchants and shopowners at Colaba Causeway aren't far behind. Patrick Ward took a stroll along the area asking them who they would like to see in the seat of power.
'Rahul bhaiya' checks out poor homes like tourists visit the Taj: Modi
Launching a hard-hitting attack on Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, Narendra Modi on Monday said the "power game by the clan of three parties" is responsible for the poor plight of UP and the nation even as he ridiculed Rahul Gandhi for visiting homes of the poor like tourists who visit Taj Mahal.
'Do you think people trust Chandrababu Naidu?'
'People know what Naidu is. I want to know if he will come clean on his various scams... He has given away land at throwaway prices to his stooges. How can he call my son corrupt?' Vijayamma, who has changed the game in Vishakhapatanam, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa why her son Jaganmohan Reddy will be Seema-Andhra's first chief minister.
Exclusive! 'ISI kept Osama as asset, knows where Mullah Omar is'
'Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence ran a special desk that was concerned solely with handling Osama as an intelligence asset... Some dream that the Taliban's flag will fly again over Kabul... Musharraf was aware of the plans to assassinate Benazir and did nothing...' New York Times reporter Carlotta Gall, author of the stunning new book The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, speaks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa in an exclusive interview.
GRAPHIC: The most experienced MPs
A look at members of the 15th Lok Sabha who have been elected to the House for six times or more till 2009
Superman in a veshti: 12 hours with A Raja
The popular perception is that A Raja will be fighting with his back to the wall, given the enormity of the charges against him in the 2G scam, but all it takes is for one to follow his campaign trail for 12 hours to be disabused of such a notion.
Bangalore-bound Malaysian jet lands safely after tyre-burst
As the search continued off the coast of Australia for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, the airline announced another plane bound for India was forced to make an emergency landing early Monday after one of its tires burst on takeoff.
How Modi's 'senapati' took control of UP
Amit Shah, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha elections incharge for Uttar Pradesh, has turned a moribund state party unit into a battle-hardened machine in less than a year.
April 20, 2014
The candidate with 1,000 cars
It has been 47 years that the Congress was pushed out of power in Tamil Nadu. After the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam split with the Congress last year, most people are quick to dismiss the prospects of the Grand Old Party in the state. Still, there are some Congress candidates who are not disheartened, but are fighting the lonely battle with gusto, enthusiasm and a lot of money, discovers Rediff.com's who accompanied one such candidate on the campaign trail.
Why elections mean NOTHING to these Vrindavan widows
Most of them have been abandoned by their families but the over 10,000 widows in this city of Lord Krishna have also been abandoned by the country's electoral process as they do not have voting rights in Vrindavan.
April 19, 2014
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple wealth being stolen?
There are "serious lapses" in management of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and the invaluable wealth its underground vaults contain, according to a report submitted in Supreme Court by the amicus curiae that favoured a direction for scientific audit of the treasure.
Modi: Save yourself from 'maa-bete ki sarkaar' and 'Maun'mohan
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Saturday lashed out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi over the claims made in a book by the Prime Minister's former aide, saying the mother and son would have to pay the "price" for running the United Progressive Alliance government from behind the scene.
Why voting is the new cool these days
Modi vs Kejriwal duel has triggered a spike in voter turnout, says Aparna Kalra
April 17, 2014
Polls so far: 5 things you should knowA breakdown of candidates in the first five stages of the election by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch offers a fascinating insight into the declarations made by this year's Lok Sabha hopefuls. Voting Special: Flaunt your Finger
Rediff.com had asked its beloved reader to flaunt their voting finger proudly for the world to see.
Guess who this man is!
From the India Abroad archives we unearthed these three photographs. Can you identify who he is?
PHOTOS: South Koreans pray for miracles
The frantic search for nearly 300 people, most of them schoolchildren, missing after a South Korean ferry capsized has extended into a second day, as distraught relatives maintained an agonising vigil on shore.
'I am going to win people's hearts; they will love me'Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has rejected the view that he had remained silent on the February 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, which according to official figures, claimed the lives of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus; caused injuries to about 2,500 people and reported 223 as missing. TRY IT! The essential 2014 general elections QUIZ
In this poll season, we ask our readers to take this quiz to find out how much they know about the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Give it a shot, voters!
PIX: Moderate to high turnout in 5th phase of LS polls
PIX: Moderate to high turnout in 5th phase of LS polls
Election: VOTE for the most evocative PHOTO
VOTE for the photograph that you think best represents India's great democratic exercise
April 16, 2014
PHOTOS: Hopes drown with South Korean ferry for hundreds
A multi-storey ferry carrying 459 people, mostly high school students on an overnight trip to a tourist island, sank off South Korea's southern coast today, leaving nearly 300 people missing despite a frantic, hours-long rescue by ships and helicopters.
Bluefin again fails to spot Malaysian plane
In another setback to the search for the crashed Malaysian jet, the second mission of the underwater drone being used to locate the plane's wreckage was aborted on Wednesday due to a "technical" trouble as it resurfaced without making any "significant detections".
How parties in Bihar are working on caste arithmetic to win polls
Issues and personality may not play as big a part as the caste of the candidate in Bihar's 7 parliamentary constituencies that go to the polls on Thursday.
NYPD shuts squad spying on Muslims
The New York police has disbanded a controversial unit that conducted surveillance on Muslim neighbourhoods and monitored the daily lives of people from the community to detect terror plots.
PHOTOS: 292 missing in South Korean ferry disaster
South Korean rescue boats and helicopters scrambled to pluck passengers, most of them high school students, from a ferry as it listed and slowly sank off the country's southwest coast on Wednesday.
Exclusive: 'Indian Mujahideen will never die'
'They will wait and watch for some time before making any new move. There have been too many arrests in the past couple of months and the organisation has been shaken up, but only temporarily.... We planned to hit tourist spots in Rajasthan, blow up a train... We had planned on carrying out an attack at the Taj Mahal.' Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa accesses Indian Mujahideen bomb-maker Tehseen Akhtar's confession.
Raima Sen: 'My mom is no delicate darling'
'We belong to a family that values commitment as the highest form of virtue.' An excited Raima Sen shares her feelings about her mother's nomination as a Trinamool candidate. Exclusive to Rediff.com
Royals face the poll heat in Rajasthan
Three out of the four royal scions who are contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Rajasthan will face a tough challenge. P B Chandra profiles the regal candidates.
Missed the 'Blood Moon'? See it HERE
The moon took on an eerie blood-red hue on Tuesday during the first total lunar eclipse of 2014, a celestial sight that wowed potentially millions of stargazers across North and South America.
April 15, 2014
Jaswant Singh: 'I don't see the NDA getting the numbers'
'I think the BJP will be the single largest party. Will it have enough numbers to form a government? I don't see those numbers as of today, and on the basis of the elections that have already taken place,' former Union minister Jaswant Singh tells Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
SC recognises transgenders as the third sexIn a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Tuesday recognised transgenders or eunuchs as third category of gender and directed Centre and states to grant them all facilities including voters ID, passport and driving licence. Finding MH370: Robotic submarine aborts its first search
A robotic submarine deployed to locate the missing Malaysian plane's black boxes on the floor of the Indian Ocean on Tuesday aborted its first search as it encountered water deeper than its operating limits of 4.5 km.
'Speculation on Priyanka helps boost morale of Cong workers'
Speculation about Priyanka Gandhi's possible plunge into active politics invariably surfaces before a Lok Sabha poll, but soon subsides. This time, however, there appears to be no end to the whisper campaign in the Congress about the possibility of Priyanka assuming a more pro-active role in politics. Anita Katyal rerports.
NDA set to bag 275 seats, Cong only 111: Opinion poll
An opinion poll on Monday night projected the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance securing majority with 275 out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats in the elections.
April 14, 2014
PHOTOS: Two suspected LeT terrorists killed in 20-hour gunbattle
Two suspected Lashker-e-Tayiba terrorists were killed and two policemen injured in a nearly 20-hour-long gunbattle in a locality in the outskirts of the city here which ended on Monday evening.
Ringside view of the battle for Bellary
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa tracks the election sentiment in the Bellary
Meera vs Milind: A tale of two rallies
As a young Congress MP hopes to score a rare hat-trick, he confronts the hope held out by a new party and its earnest candidate. Rediff.com's Swarupa Dutt reports from one of the nation's most high profile constituencies. Photographs: Reuben NV/Rediff.com
A Rajput storms the BJP fort
The BJP may have declined him Barmer, but Independent candidate Jaswant Singh doesn't intend to go down without a fight for the seat. His road show on Sunday, in Jaisalmer, showed his resolve, and appeal, reports Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
How much SILVER do our politicians own
Silver has added a sparkle to assets declared by many women leaders in fray for Lok Sabha elections, including biggies like Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj, as a spike in the price of white metal has pushed up their wealth.
Here's how dirty election money is moved
Operators like Chor Babulal supply weapons in constituencies where violence is necessary to win votes as well as money for many politicians. Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa unravels how dirty election money reaches the voter.
Actress Ramya's waging a tough battle alone
Battling factionalism within the party, Congress candidate and multi-lingual cine actress Ramya is fending for herself to reclaim the Mandya Lok Sabha seat which she won only eight months ago in bypolls.
PHOTOS: Cars politicians drive
Wealthy Indian politicians prefer nothing less than Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars, Audis or gas-guzzling SUVs to scorch the road.
How Indian women will be under a Modi sarkar
How appealing does a strong man look when he's twisting your arm, asks Mitali Saran
April 13, 2014
'Whole world knows Rahul will be named PM if the Cong is in a position'
In the backdrop of a furore created by the prime minister's former media advisor Sanjaya Baru's book, Finance Minister P Chidambaram in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, said that Dr Manmohan Singh is reticent, withdrawn and shy by nature.
April 12, 2014
TV interview # 2: Rahul goes after Modi, drags in Adani
In a strong attack on Adani group perceived to be close to Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi has said that land equal to the size of Vadodara and the Gujarat coastline of the size of Mumbai coastline had been given at throwaway prices.
Modi is making promises he won't fulfil: PM
Hitting the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday made a scathing attack on BJP by describing its ideology as against the composite culture of the state and said the party had always "divided the country."
Election: VOTE for the most evocative PHOTO
VOTE for the photograph that you think best represents India's great democratic exercise
Superb turnout in Tripura, Assam, Sikkim polling
Between 71 to 82 per cent polling was registered in five Lok Sabha seats in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and of Sikkim in the fourth phase of the polls on Saturday.
Rahul runs SUV over critics, files nomination with Gandhi parivar
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday filed his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi.
Disturbed marriage of a former PM was not an issue: Jaitley reminds Rahul
Accusing Rahul Gandhi of breaching the unstated code of Indian politics by making Narendra Modi's marriage a political issue, Arun Jaitley on Saturday launched a no holds barred counter-attack, saying how can Gandhi be disturbed by a disclosure of a "legitimate" relationship when "many" of his partymen have "illicit" relationships.
PM became object of ridicule; files went to Sonia; Rahul was rash: Baru
Sanjaya Baru, in the eye of a storm after his latest book The Accidental Prime Minister made startling claims about the top echelons of the Congress, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, has defended himself saying his book was not a criticism of the leaders, but had a balanced viewpoint.
AAP's Jaipur candidate is winning hearts. But will he win the votes?
Aam Aadmi's Party's Dr Virendra Singh -- a popular doctor-turned Lok Sabha election candidate -- is already making a difference with his folded hands and beaming smiles in Jaipur. Shanawaz Akhtar reports.
How will history judge Manmohan Singh?
Active or inert? As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares for retirement, explores his current state of mind.
'PM accepted Sonia Gandhi as the centre of power'
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been "defanged" by the Congress party in his second term with Sonia Gandhi deciding on key appointments to the Cabinet and to the PMO as he seemed to "surrender" to her and to the United Progressive Alliance constituents.
April 11, 2014
When PM Manmohan Singh almost quit
At the peak of the political crisis over the Indo-US nuclear deal in the summer of 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had threatened to quit if the UPA coalition was to buckle under Left pressure and had told Congress President Sonia Gandhi to look for his replacement.
Mulayam stands by 'Ladkon se galti ho jati hai' comment on rape
Seeking to wriggle out of his controversial remarks on rape, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday said "no one respects women more than Samajwadi Party" but stuck to his stand that the "wrong" anti-rape law should be amended.
REWIND: The girl who didn't know Rahul... MOREA collection of some of the best election stories from rediff.com this week Women are equally guilty for rape: Abu Azmi
After Mulayam Singh Yadav, it was the turn of yet another Samajwadi to dish out insensitive remarks about rape.
On the poll trail with Gadkari: 'Amit Shah never talks nonsense'
'Secularism does not mean appeasement of terrorists all the time. Secularism does not mean you have to appease anybody. Justice for all and appeasement for none. That is the role of a secular party.' "So that will remain?" '100 percent.'
Mayawati saves her best for home turf
BSP commands good support base in western Uttar Pradesh districts, particularly amongst Dalits and the Jatav community. Virendra Singh Rawat reports
Why BJP is going gaga over heavy polling
The Bharatiya Janata Party is banking on high turnout in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi
'My heart is in Hyderabad but fate has brought me to Rajasthan'
Congress candidate from Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawaimadhopur constituency Mohammed Azharuddin tells rediff.com's PB Chandra about the tough battle ahead, his plans for the region and his view on statehood to Telangana.
QUIZ: Can you identify these places?
Here's a collection of some stunning images of the Earth seen from the International Space Station.
'AAP has brought about a paradigm change in Indian politics'
Banker-turned-politician Meera Sanyal on why she joined politics, her plans for South Mumbai, women's empowerment and the promise of the Aam Aadmi Party.
April 10, 2014
Mulayam on rape: Boys make mistakes, why hang them?In a highly insensitive and controversial statement at the time when security of women is a major issue, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said that it was wrong to give capital punishment to rapists.
3rd phase voting: Vote for most evocative photo
Rediff.com brings you some special moments captured during the polling process.
Narendra Modi worth Rs 1.51 crore; does not own vehicle
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi, who is contesting from Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, has declared his total assets at Rs 1.51 crore and he does not own any vehicle.
Pilots of Jet flight that vanished for 30 minutes grounded
A Jet Airways flight from London to Mumbai sparked panic after the aircraft remained out of contact for almost 30 minutes while it was flying over German airspace, barely five days after the mysterious disappearance of a Malaysian Airlines flight last month.
'Dr Singh is a good man, he thinks of the country all the time'
Dr Ramakant Panda performed bypass heart surgery on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009, shortly before the general election. As the Asian Heart Institute, which Dr Panda built from scratch in Mumbai, completes 200,000 heart treatments, Dr Panda tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore about the prime minister's current state of health.
PHOTOS: 11 crore Indians get a chance to change their destiny
The first substantial round of polling in the Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday, involving nearly 11 crore voters in 92 seats spread across 11 states, including Delhi and the national capital region and the riot-hit Muzaffarnagar.
At 28, NDA is NOT really healthy
Only six of the 28 parties had any presence in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Archis Mohan reports
Why P Chidambaram said 'Cut!'
P Chidambaram declined to contest the Lok Sabha election, but Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar runs into the finance minister who is working hard to ensure an unlikely victory for his son Karti in Sivaganga, which Chidambaram has represented since 1984.
PHOTOS: Priyanka, Sonia, Kejriwal, Rahul line up to vote
Political heavyweights lined up to cast their votes on Thursday during the third round of polling for the Lok Sabha elections.
The Youngistaan of Nagpur wants a change
'I would like to vote for Kejriwal. He is an aam aadmi like us. He has good middle class values. Corruption is the most important issue of this election. I don't like Modi because of his past.' Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel and photographer Uttam Ghosh travel to Nagpur, Maharashtra's third most populous city, to assess the mood among young voters.
Jashodaben is my wife, Modi declares in affidavit before EC.jpg)
The Bharartiya Janata Party's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi has for the first time declared himself as a married man by revealing his wife's name as Jashodaben in an affidavit filed before the Election Commission.
April 09, 2014
'I think we would be better off with a presidential form of govt'
Hindol Sengupta was on Rediff Chat on Wednesday to talk about things that matter -- or should matter -- to most of us as citizens, from financial scams to climate change, women's rights to parliamentary spends.
BJP is the favourite in Delhi, but AAP is not far behind
In 2009, the Congress won all seven Lok Sabha seats in New Delhi. This election, the party may not even win one.
PHOTOS: Modi's Vadodara nomination backed by tea vendor, royal
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday filed his nomination from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat making a pitch for "good governance" and emphasising his links with the region.
Election snapshots: Northeast decides its future
Six constituencies speared across four north-eastern are currently casting their ballot in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
A road less travelled by political parties
Candidates promise development, jobs and better administration but caste equations play a major role in the Red districts of the country that few parties can ignore.
The Japanese monk who is against the BJP
'If they come to power, they will try to change the Constitution. They are destroying Babasaheb's name. They are fundamentalist people,' says Surai Sasai, the Buddhist monk who has issued an edict that Nagpur's Buddhists not vote for the BJP or its candidate Nitin Gadkari.
3 women Jagan Reddy owes his success to
YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy has had the solid backing of his mother Vijayamma, sister Sharmila and wife Bharathi even when the chips were down during his incarceration in the disproportionate assets case. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Why some of us don't really like AAP these days
What puts off some would-be AAP supporters is the party's ideological incoherence, says Rupa Subramanya
How Modi is helping Owaisi retain Hyderabad seat
The MIM MP from Hyderabad has managed to instil a sense of insecurity in the minds of the people as he appeals them to vote for him so that 'communal forces' under Modi are kept in check. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
80 pc voting in Manipur; 71 pc in Nagaland, 66 pc in Meghalaya
About 80 per cent of the electorate on Wednesday voted in the elections to the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat in the hill districts. Reports from Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Senapati, Chandel and Tamenglong said that polling ended peacefully at 5 pm.
April 08, 2014
Mamata gives in to EC ultimatum;7 officials to be transferred
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee late Tuesday evening announced that her government will comply with the commission's order on Monday to transfer five superintendents of police, one district magistrate and two additional district magistrates.
This map tells you where unemployment is dropping the mostRediff.com's data journalists have broken down the National Sample Survey Office 68 round (July 2011- June 2012) report data into a state-wise listing. DISCUSS: Your kind of government
What are you expectations from the next government?
Dard Anek, ilaj ek: NaMo pain balm
The pain relieving balm is made available at more than 1,000 retail stores in 75 different cities in 12 states in India
Just politics! Nobody's got an agenda on Telangana
While every party jostles to claim credit for the formation of Telangana and stitch poll alliances, the confused voter laments about the future of India's 29th state.
What the dream merchants are selling you in 2014
We take a look at the differences and similarities in the manifestos released by different political parties
Poll meme of the day: Mayawati's vote appeal
This is the eighth in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
The real truth about Rahul Gandhi's RTI
While Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi insists the Act brought transparency into governance, Congressmen say it has become the party's bane, says Kavita Chowdhury
11 things to know about world's largest election
Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst and Ana Swanson, editor, South Asia Channel on foreignpolicy.com list 11 things you need to know about the world's biggest election:
People love me, will vote for me: Jaganmohan Reddy
Latest opinion polls may have shown his popularity as dipping a bit, but Jagan is confident of winning the highest number of seats both in the assembly and Lok Sabha segments in Andhra Pradesh.
'If Modi and Amit Shah think they can polarise the country, they are mistaken'
Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid took time off from his election campaign in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh to speak to Kavita Chowdhury on Congress politics and the minority community.
April 07, 2014
They say BJP is hoodwinking voters. Agree?
Political parties have slammed Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto especially over inclusion of Ram temple and other 'Hindutva' issues, saying it was only aimed at hoodwinking voters.
Election Graphic: Highest and lowest victory margins
A graphic representing the highest and lowest victory margins in Lok Sabha elections
Election raids: Rs 195,00,00,000 seized; 11,000 FIRs filed
Over Rs 195 crore of cash has been seized so far by Election Commission appointed teams, with Andhra Pradesh topping the list.
Modi makes 3 promises to himself
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Monday outlined a three-point pledge under which he will neither do anything for himself nor do anything with "bad intent" if he becomes Prime Minister.
Before Modi, there was Morarjibhai
If Narendra Modi becomes prime minister next month, he will be India's second prime minister from the western state of Gujarat. Thirty-seven years ago, Morarji Desai was sworn in as India's first non-Congress prime minister, indeed the oldest man at 81 to then hold the office.
Kejriwal hopes to replicate Delhi victory in Varanasi
The party plans to deploy its top leaders Yogendra Yadav, Shazia Ilmi and Manish Sisodia, among others, in Uttar Pradesh, says
PHOTOS: Kashmir's tulip garden a bit 'under the weather'
Kashmir's famous tulip garden, nestled in the foothills of the Zarbarwan mountain range, was thrown open to the public on Saturday.
BJP manifesto buzz words: Development, infrastructure and governance
Contentious issues such as the construction of a RamTemple in Ayodhya, abrogation of Art 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir and enactment of Uniform Civil Code have been included in the Bharatiya Janata Party's election manifesto with the party making promises on them.
PHOTOS: World's biggest show of democracy begins
The high-stakes battle in the virtual Presidential-style contest between BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with a few other regional satraps also in the fray in the Lok Sabha elections began on Monday in six constituencies in two states in the first of the nine-phased polls.
April 06, 2014
Lok Sabha elections 2014: The battle begins on Monday
The high-stakes battle in the virtual Presidential-style contest between BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with a few other regional satraps also in the fray in the Lok Sabha elections begins on Monday in six constituencies in two states in the first of the nine-phased polls.
April 05, 2014
NDA to bag 234-246 Lok Sabha seats: Survey
Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is projected to bag 234-246 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, a survey conducted by CNN-IBN and CSDS said.
April 04, 2014
Why your neta loves the mobile phone these days
The burgeoning mobile user base in the country has given the political parties an opportunity to take their campaigns directly to the people.
Is the BJP more sinned against than sinner? 
BJP workers and leaders are enjoying each bit of abuse thrown at them. It tells them the party is winning the elections.
Bangalore 'stakeholders' bullish on former Infy man
Rediff.com's joins the campaign trail with former Infosys chief financial officer V Balakrishnan in Bangalore Central constituency.
It's pack-up time for Congress, and they are preparing...
In this election, the number to watch is not the seats the BJP gets - but how many the Congress gets. That will define it as an opposition, says
Poll meme of the day: Karunanidhi's master plan
This is the sixth in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
The real Indian voter is at the chai, halwai and tailor shop
A chat at the chai, halwai, barber and tailor shops reveal more insights into the thinking of the Indian voter than any opinion poll or analysis could. reports from Arthala village, Ghaziabad.
Modi is insensitive; he is all out to break the country'
For his allies and rivals, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar is an unpredictable politician.
BJP and co will sweep Hindi heartland: Poll
An opinion poll has projected it is advantage Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana in the Lok Sabha elections while claiming that there is neck-and-neck race in Himachal Pradesh.
Manmohan not in demand these days
Although Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi might be the Congress' enemy number one, in private, many Congressmen blame Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the party's current plight.
April 03, 2014
Army chief unveils statue of Sam Manekshaw
On the birth centenary of late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Thursday unveiled his statue at the Manekshaw auditorium in New Delhi.
PHOTOS: Shiv Sena-MNS workers clash in Mumbai 
Large number of Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers clashed on Thursday outside the Old Custom House in South Mumbai when respective party candidates Arvind Sawant and Aditya Shirodkar reached there to file their nominations.
Uttam's Take: NaMo, the team player
Narendra Modi, in his first interview of this election season to a television channel, denied that he was a control freak or authoritarian and called himself a team player who likes to build consensus and then use his authority to implement decisions. Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his perspective of Modi's self-assessment.
NaMo or Sonia? Who is trending in South India? 
With only four days to go for the big battle to begin, psephologist Dr Sandeep Shastri discusses with Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa the trends in South India this poll season.
Not TMC, not Left, West Bengal sex workers to use NOTA
The 50-lakh-strong community of sex workers in India is seriously considering the NOTA option while exercising their franchise in the Lok Sabha election to register protest against deprivation and apathy.
Poll meme of the day: Mamata's 'filmy chakkar' 
This is the sixth in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
BJP finally realises 'Modi-jaap' won't be enough
Bharatiya Janata Party's intelligence reports show its biggest strength turning into a weakness in UP, Bihar. Archis Mohan reports
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny
A round-up of off-beat stories from around the world
'Ghar ghar Modi nahin, ghar ghar jhaadu chahiye...' 
AAP candidate Shazia Ilmi fires from all cylinders at a campaign meeting in Ghaziabad.
4 killed as gunman goes on rampage at US army's Fort Hood base
Four people were killed and 14 injured as a gunman in a uniform went on rampage at the United States military base in Fort Hood, Texas.
Love ain't quite lost in Gandhi parivar
Okay so Varun Gandhi has put an end to speculation about a "Gandhi vs Gandhi" electoral face-off in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. The bigger story of the day, however, here is the strange relationship that the Gandhi siblings -- Rahul and Varun -- and their families share. Rediff.com's Anita Katyal reports
What the next generation of Indians want
Rediff.com's brings for you portraits, shot by Reuters photographers, of registered new voters who will cast their ballots as India, the world's largest democracy goes to the polls.
How much do casual labourers earn across India? Click HERERediff.com's data journalists have visualised the National Sample Survey Office (NSS 68th round, July 2011-June 2012) data into a interactive map.
April 02, 2014
PHOTOS: Sonia files nomination from Rae Bareli after 'lucky' havan
After performing a 'havan', Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday filed her nomination papers from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in yet another bid to reach Parliament from the family bastion in central Uttar Pradesh.
'Do you want a weak leader who can't take decisions?'
'Mr Modi has the necessary initiative, necessary motivation, necessary national thinking to push things forward. Here's a man with proven ability... India can become a superpower provided we shed a lot of things that have plagued us for the past 60 years. One of them -- a major one -- is how the country has been divided for vote banks. We need to sort that out, it will take time, but I am sure once that is done a lot of things will happen which will make this country good and powerful,' says General Vijay Kumar Singh as he battles for the people's vote in Ghaziabad, only the second army chief to contest an election.
Poll meme of the day: Mulayam's 'Avenger' avatar
This is the fourth in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
Why no 'BJPwallah' would comment on this yogi... or his politics
How the BJP's Yogi Adityanath hopes to use religious polarisation to trump caste fragmentation in the battle for Uttar Pradesh
Do career diplomats make for better US ambassadors to India?
'A good ambassador needs to know, and to represent, the interests of the United States. In South Asia, career officers have done well by this standard; so have most of the non-career appointees.' Career diplomat Nancy J Powell, the US ambassador to India, resigned on Monday. Retired United States ambassadors Howard B Schaffer and Teresita C Schaffer look at how political appointees and career diplomats sent as envoys to India and South Asia have fared over the years.
'Nandan and I are grateful and humbled'
'No matter the deep polarisation as evidenced in different media, there is a deeply ingrained culture of tolerance and openness. This is exactly the idea of India we are fighting for in this election.' Rohini Nilekani, whose husband Nandan Nilekani -- co-founder, Infosys, and former Chairman, Unique Identity Authority of India -- is contesting the Lok Sabha election from the Bangalore South constituency on a Congress Party ticket, on her experiences on the campaign trail.
PHOTOS: 5 killed as 8.2 quake jolts Chile, triggers tsunami
A powerful earthquake of 8.2 magnitude has struck off northern Chile, triggering a tsunami alert, according to the United States Geological Survey. Waves of up to six feet have hit some areas in Chile.
Anna Hazare is plotting a serious comeback
Advocating demolition of party system, Anna Hazare has said that a "second war of Independence" would come about with an organisation to be launched after the Lok Sabha elections which would be successful by 2019 or 2024.
April 01, 2014
Here's where YOU can earn more in IndiaRediff.com's data journalists have broken down the National Sample Survey Office 68 round (July 2011- June 2012) report data into a state-wise listing. Moon Moon Sen: Politics is teaching me to think beyond myself
'One afternoon while I was shopping for curtains, a friend called up to say, "Congratulations, you have been named the TMC candidate from Bankura." I was stupefied. I finished my shopping and on my return home, called up Mamata."What have you done?" I asked her. She just kept laughing,' Moon Moon Sen, the TMC candidate from Bankura, tells Rediff.com's Indrani Roy in this exclusive interview.
Who will be South Bangalore's Biwi No 1?
Nandan Nilekani's wife Rohini and Ananth Kumar's wife Tejaswini add a new dimension to the tough race for South Bangalore. Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa joins the two on the campaign trail.
'India is not shining. Not gleaming'
Medha Patkar's makeover is a professional one. She has switched jobs. The brave grassroots activist -- who has devoted her life to protests for innumerable causes that affect or strengthen the poor, attracting national, as well as global attention -- has always doggedly fought for support. Today, Vaihayasi Pande Daniel discovers, she is fighting for a commodity far more tricky and slippery. Votes.
Manmohan Singh's fiery attack stuns all!
This is the fourth in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
March 31, 2014
What Modi really means by Congress-free Bharat
Describing the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as an "election of hope", Narendra Modi has said he wants to rid the nation of bad governance, vote bank politics, dynastic rule, corruption and misuse of constitutional institutions which were "nourished" by Congress governments.
There are deep flaws in Modi's character: Chidambaram
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday attacked Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi saying there are "deep flaws" in his character and warned people against the "danger" from one individual taking over the party, cabinet and government.
PHOTOS: The 2014 Padma Award winners
Eminent scientist R A Mashelkar was on Monday conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, while acclaimed artiste Kamal Haasan and ace shuttler P Gopichand were among the 12 personalities conferred the Padma Bhushan by President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.
Where India's working women live. Click to discoverRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2011 Census data into a constituency-wise listing.
March 30, 2014
PHOTOS: When the world switched off lights
Lights went off in thousands of cities and towns across the world on Saturday for the annual Earth Hour campaign, aiming to raise money via Internet for local environmental projects.
Indian-origin teen shows US how to save $400 million
A 14-year-old Indian-origin boy has come up with an unique plan that could help the United States save nearly $400 million (over Rs 2394 crore) a year by merely changing the font used on official documents.
March 28, 2014
Exclusive: Will fight against Modi if party asks, says Digvijaya
In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's , Singh speaks about his candidature from Varanasi, the party's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and how the Congress is likely to fare in Andhra Pradesh.
Opinion poll: BJP likely get 19 seats in Bihar; JD-U to be reduced to 6
According to the ABP News-Nielsen opinion poll, the National Democratic Alliance will emerge as the gainer with 21 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, the Janata Dal-United will face the heat of break-up; will get 6 seats
PHOTOS: Terrorists go on bloody rampage near Jammu
In daring twin attacks, suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants in combat uniform struck terror on the outskirts of Jammu in Kathua district and killed a civilian and a soldier guarding an army camp gate, leaving three others injured. "The gunfight ended on Friday evening after the three terrorists were killed. It was a joint operation of the army and police," the spokesman said.
IAF's new C-130J suffers costly crash; all 5 crew dead
In a major setback to the Indian Air Force, a newly-acquired US-made C-130J transport aircraft on Friday crashed near Gwalior after taking off from Agra air base, killing five crew members, including four officers.
How YOUR state voted in the past
Detailed comparative graphics on how India's 28 states voted in the last two Lok Sabha elections.
An Indian brick in the Great China Wall
Aseem Chhabra travels to China, where he is delighted to find, that there is a little bit of India, almost everywhere he goes
Poll meme of the day: How Modi backers answer difficult questions
This is the third in a series of daily political memes. Do mail us your memes or meme ideas at: citizen.reporter@rediffmail.com
Who'll be Rajasthan's 'sabse bada khiladi'?
From Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to Mohd Azharuddin, sporting stalwarts are taking the political plunge in Rajasthan. However, it's no cakewalk for them as they face tough political opposition, reports Shahnawaz Hussain.
No more experiments; Congress locks up Rahul's lab
BJP's choice of candidates seems to be dictating the Congress selection process, says Kavita Chowdhury
March 27, 2014
Lessons for Narendra Modi from Indira Gandhi
Narendra Modi appears to be confronting the BJP's 'Old Guard' just as Indira Gandhi fought the 'Syndicate' within the Congress, says
Kerala women most literate in the country; UP among lowestRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2011 Census data into a constituency-wise listing. Why Kejriwal could drown in Varanasi
The Aam Aadmi Party will find it difficult to repeat its Delhi success in Uttar Pradesh as it will have the Bahujan Samaj Party to contend with, says
Why secrets and spies are in great demand during elections
With campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls gaining momentum, private detective agencies are having a boom time as they are being hired on a large scale by candidates and parties to keep a tab on their rivals.
Stars stir up Bengal election mood
With filmstars, football icons and famous singers dotting the Bengal electoral landscape in addition to the seasoned politicians, the state's electorate this time are presented with interesting choices in the Lok Sabha elections.
'Modi is the most talented politician of our time'
'He doesn't think anyone else has his brilliance or integrity. And he cannot bear to stand a rival,' says journalist Aakar Patel, a long-time Modi observer who has translated Modi's poetry and his biographies of RSS leaders.
Poll meme of the day: Rahul, the trouble-shooter
This is the second in a series of daily political memes. Do send us your memes at this email: citizenreporter@rediffmail.com
IN PHOTOS: Spain's OUTRAGEOUS body painting pageant
We bring you photographs from a body paint pageant during Expobelleza Andalucia (Expobeauty Andalusia) in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain. The event is an annual health, beauty and wellness fair.
I was not invited by the AAP to join them: General V K Singh
Former Singh is in hectic campaign mode as he goes all out to win the confidence of people of Ghaziabad, who chose Bharatiya Janata Party chief Rajnath Singh in the 2009 elections to represent them. He spoke with rediff.com about his priorities and how he aims to "convince people to see beyond the politics of caste, religion and look at national level issues
March 26, 2014
'Mirchi girl' Rakhi Sawant wants to spice up LS polls in Mumbai
You just can't get enough of Rakhi Sawant. The popular item girl and TV personality has now decided to take the political plunge from the crucial Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency -- although there's one little problem: the Bharatiya Janata Party, the party that she wants to represent, is yet to finalise her name.
Cong manifesto buzzwords: Development, women, education
Here's the word cloud of the Congress manifesto that was released on Wednesday.
Poll meme of the day: Chora Ganga kinare wala!
We bring the first of a series of daily political memes. Request our witty readers to send in their too, and mail us on citizenreporter@rediff.co.in. The wackiest -- and the cleanest -- will get featured on your website.
Watch Video: Narendra Modi visits Vaishnodevi shrine
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is trying to rake up as many divine blessings he can in this election season.
A Muslim voter in Uttar Pradesh has very few options
The bleakness of being a Muslim in Uttar Pradesh depresses both its youth and community leaders alike, says Archis Mohan
'There is no BJP; it's only Modi, Modi and Modi'
For the first time since he made the statement in January that his party will accept the verdict of people in case Narendra Modi becomes prime minister, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah in this interview to CNN-IBN, calls the Bharatiya Janata Party' 'bitter' veteran Jaswant Singh and senior leader L K Advani secular, but also says that there is indeed a National Democratic Alliance
March 25, 2014
'Our aim is to give a devastating blow to both Modi and Rahul'
"This is not like any other election, nor is it just a local election. Varanasi is going to create history that will change the political destiny of the country," AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who announced his decision to contest against Narendra Modi in Varanasi, told a rally following a referendum. reports.
PHOTOS: First eggs, then ink thrown at Kejriwal in Varanasi
After eggs, ink was thrown at Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal while he was undertaking a road show in Varanasi on Tuesday following his visit to the Kal Bhairav and Kashi Vishwanath temples.
PHOTOS: 'Spiderman' spices up South Mumbai race
Sharma, popularly known as the city's 'Spiderman', has filed his nomination as an independent candidate from South Mumbai, one of the country's richest Lok Sabha constituencies.
10 things that have lasted longer than Pramod Muthalik's BJP stint
So what are the things that last longer than Muthalik in the BJP?
Why Telugu film stars are chasing PM-in-waiting Modi
Actors Pawan Kalyan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Junior NTR and Mahesh Babu are making a beeline to meet the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Rediff.com's tells you why
From Spelling Bee to Super Bowl, Indian Americans championed it all
Aziz Haniffa walks through Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, an exhibition that explores the 'American Dream' as lived by the community stretching far behind the stereotypes such as saris and temples and sadhus, at the Smithsonian, with curator Masum Momaya.
INTERACTIVE: Where most riots happen in IndiaRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2012 district-wise National Crime Record's Bureau data into a constituency-wise listing. In Photos: Hailstorm kills farmers' hopes in Maharashtra's Vidarbha
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have destroyed fruits, grains vegetables and orchards of an untold number of farmers in Beed in Maharashtra.
March 24, 2014
PHOTOS: In superstar Nagarjuna, Modi finds another fan from Tollywood
Telugu movie star Akkineni Nagarjuna, who has also starred in several Hindi movies, met Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and announced that India needed a "change" which Modi as the rime Minister should usher in.
PIX: Colours of joy thousands of miles away from motherland
The Dwarkadhish Temple in Parlin, New Jersey, United States of America, celebrated the festival of joy and colours on March 22, which was attended by thousands of Indian Americans from across that country.
'Govt has carefully hidden why NSG came late during 26/11 attacks'
Any intelligence to be used in an operation has to be explained to the field staff. Merely retransmitting it without explaining the applicability to the local conditions will only elicit the standard response, V Balachandran tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
Most kidnappings in India happen hereRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2012 district-wise National Crime Record's Bureau data into a constituency-wise listing. MH370 crashed in Indian Ocean, no survivors: Malaysian PM
It was a drama that played out for five hours. In this duration, Pramod Muthalik, controversial leader of right-wing outfit Sri Ram Sena, -- linked with the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009 -- was in out of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Where's the money for Modi's vision of India?
'If there is one thing that is true for the polls in 2014, it is that this is going to be the big economic election in India. The rise of an aspiring class is, in many ways, shattering many certainties of the old welfare State. Make no mistake though -- big social welfare schemes are not disappearing in a hurry, but today the voters want more. The promise of a better life is increasingly more vital than the promise of free rice.' An exclusive excerpt from 100 Things To Know And Debate Before You Vote by Hindol Sengupta.
March 22, 2014
Lok Sabha Polls: The crorepati contestants
Rediff.com take a look at the crorepatis contesting the Lok Sabha elections
Missing MH370: The final 54 minutes
The transcript lasts just 54 minutes, from its taxi on the runway to its final message at 1.07am
Now, China spots possible debris of missing Malaysian plane
Multinational rescue teams were scouring remote seas in the Indian Ocean to trace the missing Malaysian plane carrying 239 people on board, as the desperate search for the jet entered its third week on Saturday.
BJP 'insulted' Advani, says Shiv Sena
Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the L K Advani ticket issue, Shiv Sena on Saturday questioned why the party took so long to decide on his Lok Sabha seat and said while Narendra Modi's era has begun, it does not mean that it is the end of Advani's era.
March 21, 2014
Who says Modi could become the PM, asks Azhar
Mohammed Azharuddin, who has bagged the Congress ticket from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, tells Rediff.com's that there's nothing called a 'Modi wave' as people of the country haven't yet forgotten the 'barbaric' 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.
Meira Kumar's assets trebled in 5 years
There was no addition to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar's jewellery though their value increased while her wealth rose by over three-and-a-half times since the 2009 general elections with the total value of her assets declared to be more than Rs 36 crore.
Why TATA won't give money to Kejriwal
The Tata group will fund new political entrant Aam Aadmi Party based only on its performance in the upcoming general elections and not before.
'Sasikala stays with Jayalalithaa only because of the assets' case'
M Natarajan, the estranged husband of Sasikala, describes in detail the association his wife and he shared with Jayalalithaa.
No 'hera pheri', promises Paresh Rawal in new role as BJP man
He's a versatile actor and is now is looking to bring his onscreen persona to politics. Batting for the 'incorruptible' Narendra Modi, and slamming opponents -- the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party -- Paresh Rawal, the BJP's face from Ahmedabad, is speaking the language of a neta, already.
'I will face Pawan on the political battlefield'
For actor Chiranjeevi, the reel life scenario of a face-off between brothers is today a real life headache. Chiranjeevi spoke to rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
Mumbai court hands life terms to 4 Shakti Mills rapists
A sessions court in Mumbai on Friday sentenced four convicts to life in jail for the gang-rape of a telephone operator in the abandoned Shakti Mills compound in the city last year.
Kejriwal is packing his bags for Varanasi
After seeking public opinion, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal will stay in the holy city to understand local issues, says Somesh Jha
These 10 politicians top the terror hit-list 
Danger ahead of BJP's PM hopeful Narendra Modi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, warns the Intelligence Bureau.
PHOTOS: MH370 search op resumes in Indian Ocean
A search resumed in the southern Indian Ocean for objects that could be debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi has set his target beyond 2014 elections
The Congress is actively contesting these Lok Sabha polls but vice-president Rahul Gandhi is marshalling the party towards a possible general election in two years. Kavita Chowdhury reports.
The stark contrast between two ministers comes to the fore
While the Union finance minister has opted out of the election race -- one of the many Congress bigwigs who are not very confident of their electoral prospects this time around, Ghulam Nabi Azad has volunteered to contest from the Udhampur seat even though he is a sitting Rajya Sabha member.
March 20, 2014
'Khushwant Singh was far from his public perception'
In Khushwant Singh photographer found a grandfather he always wanted.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Constituencies with MOST murdersRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2012 district-wise National Crime Record's Bureau data into a constituency-wise listing. Mumbai gang-rape cases: ALL accused found guilty
The sessions court in Mumbai on Thursday found all the accused in the Shakti Mills gangrape cases guilty. They will be sentenced by the court later today.
Absolutely STUNNING winners of the 2014 Sony World Photo Awards
The World Photography Organisation announced the winners of the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2014 in the Open, National Awards, and Youth categories on Wednesday.
Flight 370: Objects spotted could be of missing plane, says Australia
Two objects possibly related to the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people have been spotted in the southern Indian Ocean, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday.
March 19, 2014
IN GRAPHICS: The search for missing Flight MH370
Rediff.com's Reuben NV presents some graphics to showcase the entire story of the missing flight.
Who deleted files from missing jet pilot's flight simulator?
Malaysian authorities on Wednesday said some files were found deleted from the flight simulator found at the house of the pilot aboard the missing jetliner and experts are trying to retrieve the data that could be crucial for solving the aviation mystery.
INTERACTIVE MAP: The real rape capital of IndiaRediff.com's data journalists have broken down 2012 district-wise data from the National Crime Records Bureau into a constituency-wise listing. 'Malaysian authorities are hiding more than what we see'
'This does not appear to be a crash. Had it been one, then the debris would have been found... Al Qaeda today has greater presence around the world... If the West withdraws completely, Afghanistan will rely on Pakistan which in turn will use the situation to pursue its own agenda...' Ajit Doval, former director, Intelligence Bureau, speaks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
'Pakistan is at a very troubled point in its history'
'It's true that you are aware of being a Pakistani in India in some way. I don't know how much of it is in my head as opposed to anything else. If I get into a taxi and someone asks 'Where are you from' I would hesitate before saying 'Pakistan',' says novelist Kamila Shamsie, whose latest book A God in Every Stone is an epic page-turner set in India's colonial past.
About 5 lakh votes cast and guess who Rediff readers want as PM?
About 5 lakh votes were cast in the Rediff Pulse of the Nation survey. And the choice for India's next leader is...
'What wave? Why did Modi choose Lucknow and not Ghaziabad?'
Interview with Union minister of state for agriculture Tariq Anwar
Bengali Communists just got tech savvy
Having been the butt of criticism on social media for months, the Communist Party of India-Marxist's West Bengal chapter, has hosted a Facebook page and has also opened a Twitter account.
Baichung Bhutia: Mamata's pawn or promising politician?
The former Indian football captain has a new target in the Lok Sabha seat of Darjeeling, but he may not find the going as easy as scoring a goal, says Joel Rai
The world's 10 MOST influential spiritual leaders
Over the centuries, people have turned to spiritual leaders for enlightenment and guidance, and it still holds true, for such leaders still inspire fervour in their believers. People's beliefs have been shaped by generations of various spiritual innovators. We bring you a list of the most influential spiritual leaders
March 18, 2014
'Even Modi is a first time candidate from UP'
'The party is going through hard times. One doesn't back off when your party needs you the most. Tough people never withdraw from the race,' movie star Nagma, the Congress candidate from Meerut, UP, tells Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar.
'Modi wave much bigger than Vajpayee wave of 1999'
A surprise candidate, columnist Prathap Simha will be contesting for the Bharatiya Janata Party from Mysore. Barely a few weeks old in the party, his selection sparked a row causing a lot of heartburn among local leaders as he was picked over two-time MP CH Vijayshankar.
Exclusive: Secure the Siachen Glacier!
On April 13, 1984 the Indian Army launched a daring operation at Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, to gain control over the glacier in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas. In the days to follow, Operation Meghdoot -- named after Kalidas's Sanskrit masterpiece -- secured the glacier and adjoining heights from Pakistani aggression. This operation has continued over the last 30 years with Pakistan making numerous failed attempts to dislodge the Indians from the Saltoro ridge along the western periphery of the glacier. Nitin Gokhale's book, Beyond NJ 9842: The Siachen Saga is the first of its kind, narrating the history of Operation Meghdoot. Rediff.com presents exclusive excerpts from the book.
In PHOTOS: Vrindavan widows' 'Rang Barse' moment
Shunning the shackles of social stigma, about 1,000 widows, played Holi with colours and gulal at Meera Sahabhagini Ashram in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.
'Pollution levels in Indian cities progressively getting worse'
A study pointing that the pollution levels in New Delhi is worse than that of Beijing may have been quoting the data from the worst period of the year but the air quality in Indian cities is progressively getting worse, United Nations climate change chief Rajendra Pachauri said on Tuesday.
March 17, 2014
Indian arms imports almost THRICE than China, Pakistan: Report
India's import of weapon systems is three times higher than Pakistan and China as it continues to be the largest buyer of arms in the world, a Swedish think tank said on Monday.
Holi Hungama: Colour me RED!
Colours ruled the streets on Monday as people of all ages with faces and clothes smeared in myriad of hues celebrated Holi, a harvest festival which marks the onset of spring season.
March 16, 2014
Malaysian PM calls Manmohan over missing MH370
Malaysia's Premier Najib Razak on Sunday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
March 15, 2014
In Tuticorin, with Parliament as backdrop, Jaya goes national in outlook
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa left no one in doubt about having an eye on New Delhi, at her election meeting in Tuticorin on Saturday, reports .
Where did Malaysian Airlines flight MH 370 disappear? 
Amelia Earhart's plane went missing in 1937, when you can imagine that planes might have. But the vanishing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 is utterly mystifying in today's tech-heavy environment.
March 14, 2014
Why Jagan may give parties a run for their money in Andhra
YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy, is on a blazing campaign trail, much to the delight of the adulating crowds. There is a Jagan wave, but will he make the cut, asks
People have exaggerated notions about themselves: Pawan Bansal
'Manish Tiwari has been trying for the Chandigarh seat since 1991, but I have never considered him a rival. If all he said the other day was targeted against me, it is unacceptable and I take strong exception to it,' former Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal tells Anita Katyal in an exclusive interview.
Why Anna Hazare skipped rally with Mamata
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who left Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee red-faced two days back, said that he had skipped the poorly attended rally because he was misled.
Kejriwal threatens to jail the media, then denies it
Accusing the media of being "sold out", Arvind Kejriwal has threatened to send media people to jail after an inquiry into the issue if AAP comes to power.
10 weird conspiracy theories on Flight MH370
The mystery over the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is getting increasingly intriguing.
These 15 celebs want YOUR vote
Rediff.com takes a look at star netas, some newbies, a few veterans, adding up to the glam quotient of Indian politics.
Search for Flight MH370 touches Indian Ocean
The massive international search for the missing Malaysian airliner is likely widen into the Indian Ocean with the US deploying a ship to the Andaman Sea to locate the airliner
PHOTOS: The magical Vrindavan Holi
They say if you really need to get a feel of vibrant India, head to Vrindavan during Holi. Here's why
Who will pull the strings post LS elections?
It won't be the Third Front, nor even a Federal Front. In case of a fractured verdict, a minority coalition comprising AIADMK, BJD and Trinamool Congress is the most likely outcome -- but it's the BJP that will call the shots, says Bharat Bhushan
March 13, 2014
AAP ki kasam! When Mumbai totally fell for Kejriwal 
Mumbaikars waved boisterously, some jumped out of their vehicles to have a closer look the 'aam aadmi' hero. They WhatsApped images of him, requested for selfies. Arvind Kejriwal swept Mumbai off its feeet on Wednesday, and how! recalls the manic response to the man of the masses in Mumbai.
MH370 search: India sends 4 warships, 6 aircraft
Joining global efforts to locate the Malaysian plane, India has deployed four warships along with six aircraft, including the latest special surveillance P-8I plane and three helicopters, under the 'Operation Searchlight'.
Kejriwal and co booked for Mumbai anarchy
A day after Arvind Kejriwal kicked off his Lok Sabha campaign in Maharashtra amid chaos, Mumbai Police on Thursday registered a case against the Aam Aadmi Party leader and his supporters on the charge of unlawful assembly outside the domestic airport.
Unexpected snowfall kills 17 in Kashmir
The untimely snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir claimed 17 lives and left nearly 2,000 houses damaged in Kashmir division, a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was informed on Thursday.
IN PHOTOS: Objects spotted by China NOT MH370 debris
Mystery continued to shroud the Malaysian jetliner six days after it went missing as Vietnam said on Thursday that its aircraft and ships have not found any debris said to have been spotted by Chinese satellites.
DON'T MISS: NASA'S STUNNING images of the cosmos
Take a look at these absolutely superb pictures from space, as seen by NASA.
March 12, 2014
PHOTOS: 2 dead, 20 injured as New York building explodes
At least one person has been killed and 20 people injured when a building partially collapsed after an explosion in the East Harlem neighbourhood of New York City on Wednesday, officials said.
PHOTOS: Out to woo aam aadmi in Mumbai, Kejriwal adds to his woes
Landing in Mumbai for his Maharashtra tour on Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal boarded an autorickshaw to travel a five-km distance to the Andheri station to board a local train, the city's lifeline, to Churchgate in south Mumbai.
Will Kejriwal contest against Narendra Modi?Party's declaration of Delhi candidate list sans Kejriwal is a sign of this move
No luck finding MH370, India ready to fly in help
Search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight with 239 people on board was on Wednesday extended to the Andaman Sea and India's help sought as international efforts to trace the aircraft that went missing five days ago yielded no breakthrough.
PHOTOS: It's March and still snowing in Kashmir
Just as Kashmir valley was ready and waiting for a pleasant spring after a long and harsh winter, it seems to have been struck with heavy snowfall, throwing life completely out of gear.
Why the youth connect with Narendra Modi 
The fact that Modi has not only been able to reach out but galvanise and engage productively with his young supporters is a many ways a game changer for old style Indian incestuous politics. May 16 could well prove that the road to Delhi is not via Lucknow or Patna but via 'the youth', says
Red rage: The most LETHAL Naxal strikes in India
Rediff.com takes a look at the most deadly Naxal attacks on security forces over the last five years.
March 11, 2014
'Wave now seems a mild word, it is more like a BJP tsunami'
'I won't be very, very surprised if we get 40/40 seats in Bihar. You may find it incredible but I'm telling you that's the mood. The worst the states are being governed, the better the chances for Mr Narendra Modi and the BJP,' says Uday Singh, the two-time BJP MP from Purnia, where Narendra Modi addressed his third Bihar rally in five months on Monday.
PHOTOS: Planes that mysteriously went off the radar
Plane crashes that have remained shrouded in mystery.
'As PM, Modi can be up to a lot of mischief'
'Narendra Modi is not just a threat to the minority communities, he is a threat to the Indian Constitution,' Dr Ram Puniyani, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
In Photos: 100 hours after plane went missing, hope begins to fade
Four days after the baffling disappearance of a Malaysian plane with 239 people aboard, there was still no trace of the aircraft on Tuesday.
In Photos: Praying for Flight MH370
Praying, crying and hoping against hope. That's what the family members of the 239 people on board Flight MH370, the Malyasian Airlines flight that went missing on Saturday morning, are doing.
Will I ever be able to go back to Crimea?
'Will the Crimean peninsula's flavour change again as even more Russians come stomping through? Will the Russian bear be content with lunching on Crimea? Or will he eventually bumble into Kiev's Independence Square to squat for good?' Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel looks back on a trip to Crimea, the setting for Tennyson's famous poem, Charge of the Light Brigade.
IN PICS: The 30 DEADLIEST air disasters in history
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the disastrous air crashes.
March 10, 2014
How Billy Joel inspired the Mulayam song 
Formally launching its election campaign material for the Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party state president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday released advertisements to be run on various television channels.
Will Bangalore South buy Nilekani's message of 'change'?
The Congress has huge hopes from the billionaire technocrat-turned-politician, and even the UIDAI chairman -- billed as an 'ordinary Congress worker' -- is making all the right noises in the prestigious and highly-educated Bangalore South constituency. However, experts are unsure whether he will be able to counter the massive 'Modi wave' in this BJP bastion. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
Over 60 hours later, no trace of flight MH370 yet
India is closely following the developments regarding the Malaysian Airlines flight which went missing on Saturday morning while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
An ancient scourge lives on
Dr Jonathan Reisman, who spent four months in Kolkata with leprosy patients who have become socio-medical outcasts, attempts to fight the much-misunderstood disease
Why these 2 are so similar and so dangerous
So remarkable are the parallels that can be drawn between Kejriwal and Khan, that it almost seems that they are clones of each other, says Sushant Sareen.
March 09, 2014
Were terrorists behind missing Malaysia Airlines plane?
In a new twist to sudden disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines plane, authorities on Sunday said intelligence agencies are probing how four persons with fake identities boarded the aircraft and counter-terrorism agencies of other countries have been alerted about it.
March 08, 2014
Women's Day special: The bold and the beautiful
On International Women's Day, here's a collection of photographs that celebrate femininity.
5 Indians among 239 on board crashed Malaysian plane
A Beijing-bound plane of Malaysia Airlines carrying 239 people including two infants has crashed into the sea.
'Metro man' E Sreedharan endorses Modi
'Metro man' E Sreedharan has came out in support of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying he hoped bold decisions under his leadership will fasten government's decision-making process.
March 07, 2014
PHOTOS: Portraits of womanhood
In the run-up to the International Women's Day, Reuters photographers in countries around the globe took a series of portraits of women and their daughters.
Uttam's Take: When AAP and BJP clashed...
Rediff.com's offers his quirky take on the face-off between the AAP and the BJP.
'Busy' Modi refuses to meet Kejriwal in Ahmedabad
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was stopped by the Gandhinagar police on Friday from meeting Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi.
He hugs pandas. And meets polar bears
'What we do about our planet in the next 10 or 20 years is going to be crucial to our existence. There is nothing more important to our long term future. NOTHING!' says M Sanjayan, one of the more visible South Asian faces, internationally, in conservation.
'With China, India should be prepared for the worst'
Sanjay Gupta, author of The Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and the Indian Riposte and deputy executive editor with the Hindustan Times, talks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa on Chinese incursions, Beijing's worrying defence budget, the curiosity generated over ties with our neighbours and more.
Did India just help Hafiz Saeed sharpen his rhetoric?
Security experts and intelligence agencies say the decision of the Uttar Pradesh police to slap sedition charges against 67 Kashmiri students of a Meerut college was a stupid one. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
'We expect a zero error election; 100% successful to the last booth'
'In the Uttar Pradesh election last time, there were four presiding officers who had a heart attack on the day of the poll. It is a high pressure job and we must compliment our bureaucracy,' says former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi who headed the Election Commission in the 2009 general election.
It's Moscow, not Crimea, that's the real target, stupid!
Events in the Ukraine have a relevance that goes beyond Ukraine itself, says former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, himself a former Indian ambassador to Russia. The plot is aimed at bringing about regime change today in the Ukraine and tomorrow in Russia itself.
NDA will win Lok Sabha race, but will need more allies: Poll
The National Democratic Alliance is likely to win between 212 and 232 seats and UPA 119-139 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, a poll survey has claimed.
March 06, 2014
In PHOTOS: Rahul Gandhi's 'fishy' business in Mumbai
During his two-day visit to Mumbai, Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi had some rather 'fishy' business to attend to.
Upskirting is legal, rules US top court
Ladies, beware of what you wear - if you are in Massachusetts! The top court in Massachusetts has ruled that 'upskirting' - the practice of secretly photographing under a woman's skirt -- is not prohibited by state law.
SHOCKING! More bombs go off in India than Afghanistan
Now here is some spine-chilling information about India not many of you know.
'The CPI-M will have a very feeble presence post elections'
'Communist leaders have become babus, they wear branded clothes and costly shoes, wear perfume to mask their body odour.... Why can't they get rid of their ego and arrogance for the party's benefit? Politburo members have no links with the soil, they have no understanding of the people and the grassroots... After the Lok Sabha election this year, the Left will cease to have any political identity.'rebel Marxist Abdur Rezzak Mollah tells Rediff.com's Indrani Roy.
Uttam's Take: Jumbo election has arrived
The Election Commission, the ultimate symbol of Indian democracy, has flagged off the great Election Race. Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his quirky take on the mind-boggling electoral exercise.
Congress hit by desperation and desertion
Desperation and desertion appear to be growing in the Congress as the Lok Sabha election nears.
REWIND: 10 moments from the day gone by
Rediff.com bring for you a collection of some of the best photographs from around the world in the last 24 hours
Did you know? Indian politics changes every 20 years!
Indian politics has been subject to a roughly 20-year cycle for the last 100 years, says T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan
Hindi heartland to power BJP's march to power: Poll
Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to bag between 63 to 79 seats out of 120 seats in the key Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls, according to a survey.
March 05, 2014
BUSTED! Rahul Gandhi, the anti-corruption crusader
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's recent attempts to fashion himself as an anti-corruption crusader were blown apart on Wednesday.
PHOTOS: 'Anarchist' Aadmi Protest on Delhi's streets
Aam Aadmi Party workers on Wednesday fought pitched battles with Bharatiya Janata Party activists outside the saffron party headquarters in New Delhi hours after former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was detained briefly in Gujarat.
Kejriwal 'detained' in Modi's Gujarat, AAP protests in Delhi
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for arresting Arvind Kejriwal and said the incident proved that the Gujarat chief minister is scared of the party.
LS polls: 10 crore more voters in 2014 than in 2009
The Lok Sabha elections will be held from April 7 to May 12 spread over nine days in the highest number of polling days so far involving an electorate of 81.4 crore, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.
A story that will warm your heart
How Dinesh Desai, an Indian American from California, changed the life of Denis Ryen, a Tamilian living in Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya, half a world away.
5 reasons why 2014 polls will be different
With the Election Commission announcing the much-awaited polling dates on Wednesday, the general election season is well and truly underway.
RaGa charm choking the Congress?
The Congress campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha contest is fast fading away, thanks to the tempo maintained by BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. For the disenchanted Congress worker, the blame for the shoddy party campaign squarely lies at the doorstep of Rahul Gandhi.
INS Sindhuratna: The tale of an underwater tragedy
Media reports had speculated that expired batteries caused the fire on board the Russian Kilo-class submarine
Michelle Obama honours acid attack victim Laxmi
Laxmi, an acid attack victim and a standard-bearer for the movement to end acid attacks in India, was honoured in the United States on Tuesday with the prestigious International Women of Courage Award.
Top PHOTO features you missed last weekA collection of the best photo features you missed last week Telangana picks Congress for 2014; Rahul is TN choice for PM: Survey
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seems to be fighting back in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Lok Sabha elections with the party recording an eight per cent increase in its vote share in the past month, while Congress turns out to be Telangana's first choice at the Centre, according to a pre-poll survey.
March 04, 2014
For the BJP, the AAP raises a mix of anxiety and hope
'The Aam Aadmi Party will cut into our votes, but it won't affect our final tally in Uttar Pradesh,' a senior BJP strategist tells Rediff.com's in this brilliant report on the coming electoral wars in UP.
Inside Yasin Bhatkal's dangerous mind
A jailbreak bid, a strike at Narendra Modi's heartland, Indian Mujahideen's hand in the Syria civil war and its attempts to reach out to Al Qaeda and Taliban. Once India's most wanted, Yasin Bhatkal reveals his chilling plans in his confessions to the NIA
Extraordinary Indian: The doctor who makes a difference!
'Even if there is only one day left for a person, I find it very satisfying to have made a difference. That is because I believe life matters. If I can bring a smile to the face of a person who has seen only pain and suffering, I feel satisfied.' Rediff.com's meets Dr M R Rajagopal who has made such a difference to the lives of the terminally ill.
PHOTOS: Rio Carnival, the wildest party on earth
Rio de Janeiro shows why it is regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World.
Gloom, doom and a million mutinies to come
With the mood in the party one of "gloom and doom", some MPs are getting ready to desert the Congress.
Ukraine crisis: Russia refuses to back down
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a gamble on Ukraine and is betting that US President Barack Obama will blink first.
AAP dips, BJP gains, Congress still loses: Survey
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is in neck-and-neck race with BJP for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi while BJP-Shiv Sena combine has a clear edge in Maharashtra, a pre-poll survey has predicted.
March 03, 2014
TRS shocks Congress, rules out merger
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has ruled out merger with the Congress and refused to give any commitment on an alliance with the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
PHOTOS: The world seething with RAGE
Amazing photographs from across the world captured by ace Reuters photographers in the month of February
March 02, 2014
7-phase Lok Sabha polls likely to commence between April 7-10
Polling in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is likely to commence in the second week of April and may be spread over seven phases, the longest so far, highly placed sources said on Sunday.
150 riots in UP in one year, not a single in Gujarat in 10 yrs: Modi
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack against the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, saying they were misleading the people under the veil of secularism to hide their failures.
Cong's 2014 mantra? How to lose friends & alienate people
The exodus in Congress could again momentum (Kiran Reddy, L Rajagopal's resignations) in contrast to which the BJP is adding to its tally of allies and is finding new admirers. Anita Katiyal reports
'Islamic militants' behind China train station attack that left 33 dead
China has blamed Islamic militants from the volatile Xinjiang province for an attack by knife-wielding "terrorists" at a railway station in Kunming city that left at least 33 people dead and 130 injured.
March 01, 2014
Putin's Russia grabs Crimea from Ukraine
Russia's parliament has granted President Vladimir Putin permission to use the country's military in the Crimea, the southern part of the Ukraine where support for Russia is strong.
When Rahul thought of being a rickshaw puller
"I was thinking of working as a rickshaw puller for a day to understand your problems," Rahul Gandhi said as he sought to reach out to rickshaw pullers and autorickshaw drivers on Saturday as part of his pre-manifesto exercise of interacting with various stakeholders.
How did India's defence story go so terribly wrong?
Forget the big-ticket stuff, for years we have not even been able to dredge Mumbai harbour so that submarines can move in and out round the clock, rues
February 28, 2014
'Navy chief's resignation will dent morale of young officers'
'If the navy was part of the ministry of defence then, of course, the defence minister would have been jointly responsible for everything that happened. But that is not so. The defence minister can shrug his shoulders and say, "Look I don't know what is going on in the navy, so let the chief handle it". The politician is free to do what he feels. If his conscience hurts him, he is welcome to quit,' former naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash tells Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel.
82pc Indian kids have NO understanding of cigarette warning labels
Preschool children in India and Nigeria have the lowest awareness and understanding of health warning labels on cigarette packages, according to an international study of over 2,000 kids in six countries.
Is Karunanidhi getting cosy with Modi?
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President M Karunanidhi on Friday described Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a 'hardworker' and a 'good friend.'
When Nitish cancelled the Modi dinner
What left Nitish Kumar so irate that he recalled the dinner invitation to Narendra Modi and the BJP during the party's 2010 national executive meet in Patna? The shamiana was pulled down, the kitchen put out and the dinner scrapped after the invitations were sent out. Sankarshan Thakur reveals what happened behind that famous cancelled meal in his new book, Single Man.
Inside terror's DARK soul: Modi's murder, Kerala netas, Hindu helpers
The charge-sheet against Yasin Bhatkal reveals many shocking facts about the dark deeds of the Indian Mujahideen, says Vicky Nanjappa
The US View: India's 10 worst problems
The United States has expressed concerns about the ills that continue to hound India year after year in its latest annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday.
India's most searched politicians
As India inches closer towards general elections, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have emerged as the most searched politicians online, Google said on Thursday.
February 27, 2014
IN PICTURES: The great night of Lord Shiva
Mahashivratri, one of the major Hindu festivals is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
10 accidents in 7 months: Sinking Navy?
vessels of the Indian Navy have met with accident in the last seven months
'Banning books seems more like Taliban culture than Hindu culture'
'How can Hindus protest efforts to ban an edition of the Gita in parts of Russia, and force a publisher to withdraw an academic critique of Hinduism, all in the same breath? It makes the Hindu community seem petty, self-serving, and hypocritical. Episodes like this allow Hinduism to be "owned" by the most conservative, intolerant, extremist voices. These people do not speak for me, and they certainly don't represent the form of Hinduism I practice and love," Princeton University's Hindu chaplain Vineet Chander tells Rediff.com's .
VOTE: The infamous barbs by our netas 
'Khooni panja', 'zeher ki kheti', 'impotent'. Political insults have become the order of the day this poll season. While all of them deserve an unequivocal boo, Rediff.com asks readers to pick one that they think stung the most.
Why Muslims still see BJP with suspicion
Muslims say the Bharatiya Janata Party has been half-hearted in its outreach to the community. reports
Hindus in Pakistan denied access to temples?
Pakistan's Supreme Court has sought a report from the government on its efforts to ensure access for the minority Hindu community to a century-old temple in
Is Boko Haram the most sadistic terror group in the world?
Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram on Tuesday night shot or burned to death 59 boys in a boarding school in north-east Nigeria.
February 26, 2014
Why 'parole favours' to Sanjay Dutt are so UNFAIR
Sanjay Dutt's 'parole favours' are bound to evoke public anger in abundance when one considers the fact although the Bollywood star has been granted parole thrice in nine months, the authorities across the country have considered only 228 out of a total 4,146 parole applications filed in the last four years. And if that's not enough, the state Maharashtra has a dubious record in terms of granting parole as it has considered only 8 out of 150 applications since 2010. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
'Impotent' Modi row: Khurshid should know who a man is, says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday slammed Union minister Salman Khurshid for describing Narendra Modi as "impotent" and asked him to apologise for the "regrettable" and "shameful" comment, saying it only reflects the Congress party's "desperation".
A blind, brilliant author's reluctant vision of India
On a recent visit to India, writer Ved Mehta gave Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel a rare glimpse into his current state of mind and what he thinks of the changes he encounters in his motherland.
DON'T MISS! Glam queen Angelina Jolie's most beautiful side
Academy Award winning actress Angelina Jolie, often billed as the 'most beautiful woman on the planet', is doing some amazing work as a special envoy for the United Nations's body for the refugees, the UNHCR.
PIX: Look what they found inside Ukraine president's estate!
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich's Mezhyhirya residence that had been closed off for nearly a decade was thronged by Ukrainians to see what Yanukovych was hiding.
February 25, 2014
IN PHOTOS: 'Orange' blanket engulfs China
Beijingers are once again choking as smog levels hit "heavy or even worse" levels in the Chinese capital and a number of other cities across the country, CNN reported on Tuesday.
Congress is philosophy that can't be wiped out, Rahul retorts to Modi
Rebuking Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's call to wipe out the Congress in 2014 election, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi said, "The Congress is not a mere political party but a time tested 'philosophy'. Those who are talking of wiping the Congress out in the India are ignorant about the power of the spirit of love and harmony that forms the basis of the philosophy, which has sustained India, the nation, for over 3000 years."
Yasin Bhatkal's pack of lies
Experts are terming the 300-page chargesheet on Indian Mujahideen operative Yasin Bhatkal a pack of lies with many believing that he misled the investigators on various occasions.
Meet Telangana, the 29th state of India
Land-locked Telangana, all set to become the country's 29th state soon, is spread over an area of over 1.14 lakh square kilometres, and boasts of considerable mineral wealth under its soil.
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny
A round-up of off-beat stories from around the world
DON'T MISS: Narendra Modi's 'hat trick' 
Rediff.com takes a look at the different avatars of 'Turbanator' Modi and asks you, the readers, to rate them.
February 24, 2014
The IAF's Tigers roar into the 80s
No 1 Squadron, the Indian Air Force's oldest squadron, celebrates 80 years of dedicated service to the nation. , who has served twice with the squadron, looks back on the Tigers's awesome journey.
Oh yes! Indians among the MOST sexually satisfied: Survey
A 2014 study revealed that socio-economic status also impacted levels of sexual satisfaction.
FATWA FACTORY: No Mars trip, suicide or Yoga!
Let's take a look at some controversial fatwas.
February 23, 2014
Ambani has Modi in one pocket and Rahul in the other: Kejriwal
The Aam Aadmi Party kickstarted its Lok Sabha campaign on Sunday with its leader Arvind Kejriwal challenging Narendra Modi to "show guts" in giving a promise to bring back black money of his industrialist friends allegedly stashed away abroad if he becomes Prime Minister.
ARRESTED! Godfather of the drug world
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the legendary boss of the world's most powerful and deadly drug cartel has been captured in Mexico, with the US hailing his arrest as a "landmark" achievement.
February 22, 2014
Freedom for Rajiv's killers: Tamils need to convince other Indians
There are various factors that should feature in judging the fate of Rajiv Gandhi's killers, says Shubhashis Gangopadhyay
February 21, 2014
BJP likely to have major gain of 40 seats in UP: Poll
According to an opinion poll conducted by ABP News-Nielsen the Bharat6iya Janata Party is likely to have a major gain of 40 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Compared with the poll conducted in January, 2014, the BJP shows a gain of another five with 40 seats and a vote share of 33 per cent.
Indian Mujahideen's 5 most dangerous terror modules
Rediff.com's enumerates the 5 deadly modules created by the Indian Mujahideen and what their strengths and goals are
'Nitish sees Modi as a man who imperils inclusive and secular India'
'I do not think Nitish has ever had any illusions that he could ever give Modi the run for the prime ministership. What he did think, and continues to think, is that by breaking away and aligning with other forces, he can attempt to stop Narendra Modi from becoming prime minister of India. That is the primary goal he has set himself,' says Sankarshan Thakur, author of a new biography of the Bihar chief minister.
Seemandhra hunts for a new capital
With Parliament clearing the way for formation of Telangana state, the focus now shifts on identifying a new 'capital' for the (residuary) state of Andhra Pradesh.
PHOTOS: Pope's wardrobe malfunction
No one is safe when it comes to wardrobe malfunctions, not even Pope Francis who recently suffered a series of them when strong winds were whipping around St Peter's Square.
Why this man is at the brink of historyWith the Lok Sabha passing the reorganisation bill, Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao now finds himself at the brink of a new history. Prashanth Chintala reports
PHOTOS: The bloody battle of Kiev Maidan
The guns may have gone silent for now in capital Kiev's Maidan or Independence Square, but peace is still far from the reach of Ukrainians.
February 20, 2014
Telangana Bill PASSED in Rajya Sabha
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha amid unprecedented bedlam on Thursday night.
IN PHOTOS: Catastrophic violence in Ukraine protests
A shaky truce crumbled in troubled Kiev on Thursday morning, when gunfire erupted at Independence Square which has been ground zero for anti-government protesters in Ukraine.
Rajiv assassination case: Political games behind move to free convicts
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's efforts seem to be aimed at embarrassing the DMK when it was said to be considering the option of reviving snapped political and electoral ties with the Congress, along with the DMDK, say N Sathiya Moorthy and M Kasinathan.
Telangana Bill moved in Rajya Sabha amid unprecedented chaosAmid unprecedented bedlam, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde moved the Telangana bill in Rajya Sabha for consideration leading to three adjournments within 30 minutes.
Rajiv case:'Sonia is accountable for all this mess'
K Ragothaman, lead investigator in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case whose controversial book -- Conspiracy to Kill Rajiv Gandhi: From CBI Files -- raised a lot of questions about the case, is disappointed with the release of the former prime minister's assassins.
'The only political beneficiary of Telangana will be BJP'
Asaduddin Owaisi, the member of Parliament from Hyderabad, talks to Sheela Bhatt about his worries over the way Telangana is being created.
Explained: The Rajiv Gandhi assassination case
Rediff.com brings you a chronology of the more than two decade-long Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, which finally seems to be getting some closure
Have a question for Modi, Kejriwal, Mamata, Lalu? Log on to Facebook
In the run up to Lok Sabha polls, Facebook users would now be able to discuss the electoral agenda of country's top politicians including Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal among others from next month.
PM doesn't want Rajiv's killers to be released
Holding that assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was an attack on India's soul, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the release of his killers would be "contrary to all principles of justice" and the Tamil Nadu government has been told not to proceed with it as it is "not legally tenable".
SC stays release of 3 convicts in Rajiv assassination case
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the release of three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case by the Tamil Nadu government, saying there have been procedural lapses on the part of the state.
'By targeting Ambani, Kejriwal is trying to kill two birds with the same stone'
'You can call Kejriwal a populist, you can call him an anarchist, that he is taking on the richest man in India to become more popular amongst the poor or the middle classes. By targeting Mukesh Ambani and highlighting the Krishna-Godavari gas issue, the AAP is trying to highlight -- even if for its own political gain -- how the nexus between business and politics works.' In an exclusive interview to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta educates us on everything we should know about the Krishna-Godavari basin gas wars, why Mukesh Ambani and his business is being questioned by Arvind Kejriwal and why citizens should be educated about the issue.
PHOTOS: Sex and drugs in 'Sin City'
China's government has told police across the country to get tough on prostitution, gambling and drugs following an expose in the "sin city" of Dongguan, where a crackdown on prostitution led to the detention of nearly 1,000 people this month.
February 19, 2014
BJP, Cong, Left celebrating Valentine's Day in Bengal: Mamata
In an interview with CNN-IBN, the Trinamool Congress chief explains why she decided to team up with activist Anna Hazare and alleges that the Left Front, the BJP and the Congress have an 'understanding' in Bengal.
No court relief for Indian held in synagogue bombing case in US
On Tuesday, the trial of Aakash Dalal commenced in a US court for allegedly masterminding a synagogue bombing plot in New Jersey. reports on the proceedings.
DEBATE: Do Rajiv's killers deserve freedom?
The Tamil Nadu government's decision to release late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassins from prison a day after the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of three of the convicts to life term, has triggered a major debate. Vicky Nanjapp presents a cross-section of opinions on the decision.
Kiran Reddy quits Andhra CM's post, Congress
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday resigned from his post as well as the Congress protesting the manner in which the state was being divided "by throwing all norms to the wind" and lashed out at political parties for dividing the state in quest of "votes".
Jayalalithaa okays release of Rajiv killers
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday decided to release all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, including A G Perarivalan and Nalini.
REWIND: Best images in the last 24 hours
Here's a collection of some of the best photos from around the world shot in the last 24 hours
We can expect governance from the BJP: Kiran Bedi
In this interview with rediff.com, key Anna Hazare aide Kiran Bedi says that the people of Delhi are disillusioned by the Aam Aadmi Party, and that she herself would go with her inner 'nod' and not invitation or a go ahead from others to contest elections.
Ambani's KG basin scam BIGGER than Bofors: AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday attacked Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party for keeping "mum" on the Reliance gas issue in which Mukesh Ambani is among others named in a first information report filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi government.
February 18, 2014
'This is the greatest day; it's time for Telangana to rise'
The credit for the creation of Telangana goes to those who laid down their lives for the state, activists tell
LS looked like a battleground during Telangana Bill passage
Lok Sabha on Tuesday looked like a virtual battle-ground during the consideration of the controversial Telangana Bill with Congress members seen protecting Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other top leaders from protesting members.
In Photos: Telangana clears first hurdle, Hyderabad CHEERS
Pro-Telangana activists danced, burst crackers and shed tears of joy as their long-cherished dream about the creation of a separate state came within a touching distance of reality.
I am not in race for PM or CM: Kejriwal tells Rediff readers
Back to being the aam aadmi after he stepped down as Delhi chief minister last week after a 49-day tenure, Arvind Kejriwal answers a volley of questions from readers as he appeared on the Rediff Chat on Tuesday.
'Don't hang the Italian marines, let them repent in jail'
visits the families of the two fishermen killed at sea by two Italian marines, who mistook them for pirates.
In PHOTOS: College charity show goes wild and how!
The biggest student's charity fashion show in the United Kingdom hosted by St Andrews, Scotland turned into a wild party of 1,500 with students sprawling themselves on the ramp and downing bottle after bottle of champagne.
T-bill moved in Lok Sabha amid uproar, Andhra CM likely to quitThe government on Tuesday moved the volatile Telangana Bill for consideration in Lok Sabha but the pandemonium created by opponents to the legislation prevented a discussion as the House was repeatedly adjourned.
IN PHOTOS: Welcome to the temple of rats!
visits Karni Mata temple near Bikaner where scores of devotees turn up every morning to seek blessings from the deity and her favourite rats.
What they don't want us to read
What is there in Wendy Doniger's book that has raised the hackles of the Hindu right wing? explains
February 17, 2014
Pride, prejudice and irony at DMK state conference
marvels at the grandiose state conference of the DMK, held in Tiruchirappalli over the weekend
This 'satanic' couple has killed 23 people
A Pennsylvania woman, who along with her husband is facing death penalty for killing a man, has claimed she has killed at least 22 other people as a part of her involvement with a satanic cult.
PHOTOS: Akhilesh Yadav thrashes babus in T-20
In a close encounter, Team Akhilesh Yadav managed to hold its nerve and clinch a 2 run victory over the Chief Secretary's Eleven in a cricket match organised as part of the IAS officers' Services Week celebrations, at the La Martiniere ground in Lucknow on Sunday.
'When Westerners make fun of our gods, they're instigating trouble'
'In theory, yes, Hindus are very open. I'm one of them. I've coined the phrase 'open architecture'... But I think the Wendy Doniger group is not allowing open architecture. They are closing this architecture'... 'They are bringing a point of view in such a heavy-handed way that it tends to dominate and it tends to suppress the alternative points of view. So some kind of counteraction is necessary and using the law is a decent thing to do.' Rajiv Malhotra, one of Wendy Doniger's most vociferous critics, speaks to Rediff.com's Arthur J Pais about the prejudices created by American scholars about Hindu gods and Hinduism.
India-US relations: 'The rupture is certainly real and quite tragic'
'Never before have I seen a diplomatic crisis in US-Indian relations, or for that matter a crisis involving India and any other country, driven by bureaucratic trade unionism, where the political leadership was simply missing in action.' Dr Ashley J Tellis, one of the foremost strategic experts on US-India relations, accesses the fallout of the diplomatic spat provoked by Devyani Khobragade's arrest.
February 15, 2014
Delhi will vote for Kejriwal AGAIN, not Congress or BJP: Poll
This may be the best piece of news Arvind Kejriwal, who has weathered one storm after the other during his short stint as the chief minister of Delhi, has heard in a while.
February 14, 2014
Kejriwal: The uncommon chief minister's turbulent journey
Arvind Kejriwal, who pledged to root out corruption after steering AAP to power in Delhi, was a man in a hurry and set a scorching pace to try to fulfil his anti-graft legislative agenda but his tumultuous journey as chief minister ended in seven weeks.
Will give up my life, but will not accept orders from Centre: Kejriwal
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday resigned as Delhi Chief Minister after he failed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Delhi Assembly.
Kejriwal quits; recommends Delhi assembly dissolution, fresh polls
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned on Friday after suffering a defeat in the assembly on the Jan Lokpal Bill and in a political gamble he recommended dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh polls.
Jan Lokpal Bill fizzles out in Delhi Assembly. Will Kejriwal quit now?
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress members of Legislative Assembly on Friday
The love story of a sex worker's daughter
Naseema and Kabir's love story proves that truth, indeed, beats fiction hollow.
'Who are we to forgive Narendra Modi?'
Many Muslims in Ahmedabad today have come a long way since the brutal riots of 2002, and see genuine hope in their leader Narendra Modi as they admit that they haven't been excluded from the circle of development. reports.
Should these MPs be banned from Parliament? Your Say!
A pepper spray was used, a mic yanked. MPs put on the worst show ever in the Parliament.
VOTE: Rediff Pulse of the Nation Poll!
The series of questions that we ask you today could help you decide your vote in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
LS poll survey: NDA to get whopping 227 seats; Cong to be reduced to 84
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is projected to get 227 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, while Congress will be reduced to 84 seats, according to an opinion poll.
February 13, 2014
Parliament at its worst: Blame these MPs! A pepper spray was used, a mic yanked. MPs put on the worst show ever in the Parliament.
T-Bill ruckus: Fisticuffs and pepper spraying in Parliament
In a new low in India's parliamentary history, pepper spray was used in the Lok Sabha resulting in hospitalisation of three MPs following a ruckus over introduction of the Telangana bill after which 18 Seemandhra MPs were suspended
Will Miley Cyrus make politics sizzle?
Pop sensation Miley Cyrus has claimed that she is eyeing up the political arena because she wants to encourage tolerance in society.
PHOTOS: This starlet wants to spend V-Day with Rahul
Southern starlet Tanisha Singh has surely taken Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's message of women empowerment in the most frivolous fashion, to say the least.
When Modi served vision, not vitriol, in cups of tea
Prasanna D Zore travels to Ahmedabad and gives us a first-hand account of Narendra Modi's unique 'Chai Pe Charcha' campaign, as the BJP leader spares his opponents the usual onslaught while squarely stressing on his plans to provide goods governance to the aam aadmi.
February 12, 2014
Cong gears up for poll campaigning, but why are its leaders sulking?
Conflicting signals on leadership, inclusion of defeated chief ministers and exclusion of others in the election campaign committee have all led to resentment among the party cadre, says
Modi's 'Chai pe Charcha'? What's that all about?
Most Amdavadis that Rediff.com's met were unaware of Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's outreach programme that kick-starts on Wednesday.
PHOTOS: Raj Thackeray's 'rasta roko' brings Mumbai to a halt
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray anti-toll agitation brought Mumbai to standstill, almost. Here are some dramatic pictures from the agitation.
PHOTOS: Hundreds of homes inundated as UK floods spread
Hundreds of homes were swamped by floods along the River Thames in the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
Raj Thackeray released; intention was not to trouble anyone, he says
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray was on Wednesday detained before being released during his party's uncharacteristically peaceful 'Rasta Roko' agitation against toll collection across Maharashtra after receiving an invitation for talks with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
February 11, 2014
All highways in Maharashtra will be blocked on Wednesday: Raj Thackeray
A day before the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's toll-plaza agitation, chief Raj Thackeray said that his party will not indulge in any vandalism but all highways will be blocked across the state from 9 am on Wednesday.
Revealed: The X-rated secrets of Indian women!
The fairer sex in India is ahead of men when it comes to capturing intimate moments on video or sending personal text messages, e-mails and photos, security software maker McAfee has said.
PHOTOS: Bollywood starlet dares to bare for Modi 
Item girl Meghna Patel goes all out to show her support for BJP's PM candidare Narendra Modi
PIX: Thousands at risk as swollen Thames bursts banks in UK
Thousands of homes in southern England are bracing for flooding after the River Thames burst its banks, with forecasters warning more bad weather is expected.
February 09, 2014
'People ask me if I am from China, Tibet or Nepal'
Facing racial discrimination has become a part of daily life for a majority of youngsters coming from the northeast to the national capital, which touts its tag of being a cosmopolitan city.
Legal logjam: 2,00,00,000 cases pending in India's courts
Over two crore cases are pending in subordinate courts in India which also face a shortage of over 3,000 judicial personnel, a Parliamentary Committee has observed.
Supreme Court speaks up on nudity!
A nude or semi-nude picture of a woman cannot be called obscene per se unless it is designed to excite sexual passion or reveal an overt sexual desire, the Supreme Court has held.
February 08, 2014
Coffee, conversations and more @ Sochi
Asia leaders join Sochi as Barack Obama, and others give it a skip.
February 07, 2014
Why Sonia is steaming ahead with Telangana
The lure of the17 Lok Sabha seats in the new Telangana state is driving Sonia Gandhi and her party to make every effort be made to push it through Parliament at the earliest.
Revealed: BJP-Congress games behind Telangana Bill
Opposition BJP has assured the ruling UPA that it would support the bill for the creation of Telangana in Parliament
Cabinet clears Telangana Bill, Hyderabad to be joint capital
Notwithstanding opposition from within Congress and outside, the Union Cabinet on Friday cleared the Telangana Bill which will be introduced in Parliament on February 12.
India's horror: Over 23,000 rapists are still out there
Nearly 24,000 rape cases are pending in various high courts of the country while more than 8000 of them have been disposed of in the last three years, the government said on Friday.
Exclusive! RSS leader: Home ministry misused agencies to trap me
'The country's home ministry has misused investigating agencies in the most illegal, corrupt, inhuman and unjustified way to trap innocents like me in terror traps,' says RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who terror accused Swami Aseemanand alleged knew of plots to bomb the Samjhauta Express, the Mecca Masjid and the Ajmer Dargah.
Mohan Bhagwat: The mastermind, or the target?
The men targetting Mohan Bhagwat were convinced he was the wrong choice to head the RSS, an NIA agent told Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
REWIND: 15 best PHOTOS of the day
A collection of some of the best photos from around the world in the last 24 hours
Rs 2 crore: That's what Pope's Harley is worth
The money will go towards the renovation of a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome run by the charity Caritas.
Kiran Kumar Reddy: Riding the wave of opposition
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's defiance seems to be working well for the Congress in Seemandhra, a reason sufficient for party leaders to keep silent, though he has openly criticised them and staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. B Dasarath Reddy reports
February 06, 2014
No money left to buy Rafale fighters: Antony
India has deferred until the next financial year its plan to finalise a deal for purchase of 126 Rafale combat aircraft from France since there is "no money left" for this now, Defence Minister A K Antony has said.
Connecting the terror dots: RSS, revenge, Swami and Samjhauta
In shocking revelations, Swami Aseemanand claims though RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was not directly involved with the terror strikes, he was aware that such attacks were being planned. finds out more
FAQ: All about the VVIP helicopter scam
A Rs 36 billion deal for helicopters to ferry VVIPs that ran into rough weather ... A controversy that now threatens to park itself at the doorsteps of the Congress party... , NDTV's Security & Strategic Affairs Editor, tells us what the controversy is all about.
Has the Congress old guard's revolt truly started?
Has the generational shift being witnessed in the Congress after Rahul assumed greater responsibilities disturbed the status quo in the party? If Janardan Dwivedi's recent interviews are any indication, these voices of dissent could get louder in the coming days. Rediff.com's reports
DON'T MISS: 20 best pix from 'world's best photography' race
The shortlist for the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world's leading photography competitions, has been announced.
February 05, 2014
Arun Jaitley: Has PM destroyed the collegium system?
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure comes to an end, it is time for him to introspect the damage he has done to various institutions, says
Uttam's Take: The AAM buffaloes of Uttar Pradesh
Following the return of senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan's stolen buffaloes, Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh offers his perspective.
Uddhav, Naidu team up against Congress on Telangana issue
Flaying the United Progressive Alliance government for its 'unilateral' decision on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said the Congress is not in a position to convince its members on the tumultuous issue of "equal justice" for people of Telangana as well as Seemandhra.
'She is a himmatwali'
A teenager painstakingly builds a new life after a freak tragedy that may have befallen any Mumbaikar. profiles Monica More who has captured Mumbai's hearts with her extraordinary courage.
Memo to Rahul: It is 2014, not 2004
The Congress vice-president needs to speak from a script more attuned to today's realities because his attempts to position himself as the perennial outsider would have held greater resonance 10 years ago, says Sreenivasan Jain
Broke no laws, didn't conduct any raid: Somnath Bharti
Under fire for his alleged role in leading a midnight raid to bust a sex and drug racket in the city, Delhi Minister Somnath Bharti has accused the media of spreading rumours against him even as he claimed that he had not violated any laws during the incident.
ANSWERED: 5 questions on UK's role in Operation Bluestar
The 12-page report that Foreign Secretary William Hague tabled in the British Parliament sheds more light on the "limited support" that his country gave India
February 04, 2014
PHOTOS: Shiv Sainiks target Pakistani band's press meet
Wielding saffron flags and chanting 'Pakistanis go back' and 'Vande Mataram', Shiv Sena workers on Tuesday barged into a press conference of a music band from Pakistan, heckled the artistes and vandalised the venue, police said.
Sachin, Prof CNR Rao conferred Bharat Ratna
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao were conferred with the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday.
'Tipu was no religious figure but a politician'
Tipu has been made divisive by people who want to use his name to milk their ends on either side of the debate, as there are ample examples to suit both arguments, says Vikram Sampath
PHOTOS: Sachin, Prof CNR Rao conferred Bharat Ratna
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao were conferred with the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna by President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday.
PHOTOS: AAP vs BJP faceoff outside Jaitley's house over bribery claims
Hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party supporters gathered outside senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley's residence in New Delhi accusing the opposition party of bribing its MLAs.
A communist's ghost returns to haunt CPI-M
The T P Chandrasekharan murder case verdict in Kerala could land a heavy blow to the Communist Party of India's Lok Sabha ambitions. explains
Cops won't catch you at this rave party
Morning Glory, a pre-work club started by events organiser Sam and massage therapist Nico, is the antidote to a room full of rowdy, drunken party-animals lurching out of step to booming dance music.
February 03, 2014
Most AMAZING photographs of the month: January
We present some of the best photographs clicked across the globe in the month of January, 2014.
February 01, 2014
Arnab interview is a nasty burn for Rahul Gandhi
It may be true that Rahul Gandhi would rather work than dance for the media, but on the other hand, the days when that was a choice are long gone, says Mitali Saran.
January 31, 2014
'I love the current state India is in'
'We are bubbling with a lot of energy, both political and social... India needs to be a lot cleaner than it is right now. We need to respect our roads, and our public spaces,' says actress in the concluding feature of Rediff.com's special series -- What I love most about India.
6 lies Congress told about Telangana 
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi orchestrated the entire drama on Telangana with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy in the lead. The truth about Telangana lies behind six blatant lies. Rediff.com's analyses
Kejriwal lists 'India's most corrupt' politicians
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday listed India's "corrupt politicians" who, he said, should not be allowed to contest elections.
'There is always a freshness about India'
'There's excitement. There's vibrancy. If it is politics, even if there's discussion and there's debate, there's vibrancy. That pretty much is the story of India,' says Union Minister Milind Deora in Rediff.com's special series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
'The way I look at my mother is how I look at my country'
'Being Indian means everything to me. My existence is nothing without my country. It is not about what the country did for you, but what you did for your country,' says actor-director Shekhar Suman, in our special series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
No need to ban khap panchayats: CM Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is a self-proclaimed advocate of progressive social politics, has now sparked a controversy by stating that he does not see the need for banning khap panchayats because they serve a "cultural purpose".
Rs 10,000 crore may just be a SLICE of Asaram's wealth!
Self-styled godman Asaram has accumulated wealth to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore and vast tracts of land across the country, the value of which is yet to be assessed, police said on Thursday.
PHOTOS: The TOUGH race that no one has EVER won
Taking place at the end of January, often in freezing winter conditions, the Tough Guy race is staged over a course of about 12 kilometres, and has been widely described as "the toughest race in the world.
January 30, 2014
PHOTOS: What a rare snowstorm did to southern US
A snowstorm in the southern United States has brought several cities to a standstill, despite early warnings about expected severe weather.
'Modi as PM will be bonanza for jihadis'
There's lack of coordination between intelligence agencies and inter-state police, terrorism expert Stephen Tankel tells Rediff.com's .
Why we need a democracy of individuals
Politics should focus on the demands of ordinary voters rather than moving in the vague world of macroeconomics, notes .
Andhra assembly rejects Telangana Bill
In a major embarrassment for the Congress party, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's resolution to reject the bill was passed unanimously.
SC orders Jayalalithaa's prosecution in I-T case
A bench of Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramjit Sen also asked the trial court in Chennai to conclude the hearing of the case and pronounce its judgment within four months.
Decoding Congress gameplan to bring down AAP
Whether the Congress is repeating its mistake of "underestimating" the AAP and will pay for its overconfidence in banking on AAP decimating itself or whether its gambit is borne out of its experience, is a matter of speculation, at least for now. Kavita Chowdhury analyses
REWIND: Best PHOTOS in the last 48 hours
Presenting some of the best photographs from around the world in the last 48 hours.
'I like Indian people's sense of hope and optimism'
The thing I love most about India is the people. The people of our country have very big hearts and very broad shoulders. They are very hard working, very entrepreneurial and very generous of spirit, says banker-turned-politician Meera Sanyal.
January 29, 2014
PICTURES: Beating the Retreat marks end of R-Day celebrations
Soul-stirring martial tunes and foot-tapping drumbeats on Wednesday reverberated as bands played near the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan lit by thousands of bulbs during Beating the Retreat event, marking the end of the Republic Day celebrations.
What's common between Rahul baba and Alok Nath?
Jokes, parodies, cartoons and even remixes of the Q&A flooded the internet space once it concluded
Why elements in Pakistan may target Narendra Modi
'Pakistan is well aware in case of 26/11-like attack Narendra Modi if in power will not take things lying down,' former RA&W C D Sahay tells Rediff.com's .
India Today: 28.7 crore CAN'T read, full literacy 66 yrs away!
India has by far the largest population of illiterate adults at 287 million (28.7 crore), amounting to 37 per cent of the global total, a United Nations report said, highlighting the huge disparities existing in education levels of the country's rich and poor.
'Govt instability is not a big thing, political instability is a problem'
Given the nature of opportunity and feedback received during our membership campaign, I feel the people of the country are saying something to us, says Yogendra Yadav, senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party.
India will produce some nectar, but we will also produce some poison
'India is a part of me. Whatever I love or criticise about India is what I love and criticise about myself,' says novelist Vikram Chandra.
America must move off a permanent war footing: Obama
The United States will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific region and shape a future of greater security, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday, even as he vowed to veto any Congressional bill imposing new sanctions on Iran to give "diplomacy a chance to succeed".
WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny!
We bring the month's most weird, true and funny news from across the globe.
A 'historic low': Queen Elizabeth down to her LAST million
Queen Elizabeth II's household finances are at a "historic low" with just 1 million pounds left in reserve, even as the royal palaces were "crumbling" and in urgent need of repair.
January 28, 2014
Rahul's Rajya Sabha choices expose his hollow words on TV
By nominating Madhusudan Mistry, Digvijaya Singh, Kumari Selja as the party's Rajya Sabha candidates, and roping in Sanjay Singh, the Congress vice-president has failed to walk the talk, argues Rediff.com's .
'Indians are very intelligent, but we are not focussed'
'I urge Indians not to look down on us, but look up and say, "Yes, we can",'says , founder of the Apollo Hospitals, in our series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
Indian scientists turn plastic into car fuel
In a breakthrough, Indian researchers have developed an innovative method to re-use discarded plastic bags by transforming them into fuel to power car engines.
Plan to eliminate Modi is in the works, warns IB
Indian Mujahideen operative Hyder Ali Shaqoor is believed to have been assigned the job to assassinate BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, reports .
Kejriwal's FIVE biggest boo-boos! Rate them
One month after Arvind Kejriwal assumed office, the unorthodox and uncommon chief minister and his party have earned more criticism and praise. Rediff.com takes a look at five of its biggest blunders and asks readers to rate its performance.
You have been spied upon via Angry Birds, Facebook
The latest claim to come from the trove of secret documents revealed by Edward Snowden has reportedly pointed out that the US intelligence agency allegedly used 'leaky' mobile apps to carve out user data for surveillance.
'Modi is an able man; the US has to come to terms with him'
Former US ambassador to India Frank G Wisner says Americans are going to confront the fact that as prime minister -- if that's where Narendra Modi ends up -- they are going to have to do business with him because the relationship with India is too important to leave it on the altar of disagreements over one man. Rediff.com's reports from Washington, DC.
Vishwanath Pratap Singh: The original Aam Aadmi hero
The common man had another hero 25 years ago in Vishwanath Pratap Singh, who sacrificed power in order to fight corruption before becoming the prime minister.
AAP's donation box is no more jingling
The average weekly donation for the party is consistently declining, says
The Aam Aadmi Party's 30-day report card
assesses the impact that the Arvind Kejriwal government has had on Delhi and the way things get done in the city, in the last 30 days
January 27, 2014
Cong tried to stop '84 riots, Modi govt did the opposite in 2002: Rahul
The Narendra Modi government was responsible for "abetting and pushing" the 2002 Gujarat riots while the Congress government tried to stop the 1984 riots, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Monday, but offered no apology for the anti-Sikh violence.
PIX: MNS workers attack toll booths at Raj Thackeray's order
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers on Monday went on the rampage, vandalising toll plazas in different parts of the state following their leader's diktat not to pay the levy and "thrash" those who raise a voice against it.
PHOTOS: Valerie Trierweiler in Mumbai after split with French president
A day after splitting with French President Francois Hollande, Valerie Trierweiler arrived in Mumbai on Sunday.
Video: Desi spider-man Gaurav Sharma climbs 45-storey buildingLimca Book record holder Gaurav Sharma climbed the 45-story Shreepati Arcade building at Nana Chowk in South Mumbai on Republic Day. 'We can use India's many languages to fight the battle for civilisation'
'But we don't use our languages for that; we use them to create distances between ourselves,' says writer Jerry Pinto.
Navy's new submarine hunter ineffective?
A yet-to-be-released US Department of Defence report has found that the Indian Navy's expensive new Boeing P-8I multi-mission maritime aircraft ineffective at surveillance and detection and destruction of submarines.
January 26, 2014
In PHOTOS: Military showstoppers @ R-Day parade
The Indian military was the show-stealer at the grand Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Sunday.
PHOTOS: French President Hollande dumps partner 
French President Francois Hollande said he has split with his longstanding partner Valerie Trierweiler after his affair with an actress nearly 20 years his junior.
IN PHOTOS: India's grand Republic Day celebrations
New Delhi is gearing up to hold the biggest spectacle of the year - the Republic Day parade.
January 25, 2014
Vidya, Leander, Iyengar: Meet this year's Padma Award winners
Noted scientist R A Mashelkar and yoga guru B K S Iyengar were on Saturday chosen for this year's Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, while cine star Kamala Haasan, author Ruskin Bond and late former chief justice J S Verma were selected for the Padma Bhushan.
Incredible win for BJP, humiliation for Congress: Opinion poll
An opinion poll conducted by ABP News-Nielsen should give the Bharatiya Janata Party lots of reasons to cheer.
The significance of Shinzo Abe's India visit
As Japan beefs up its defences against China, both New Delhi and Tokyo seem to have decided to re-energise their relationship to ensure a strategic balance in Asia. Japan's Prime Minister Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is the guest of honour at this year's Republic Day, will arrive in India on Saturday. He will also be the first ever Japanese dignitary to grace the occasion.
January 24, 2014
If LS polls are held today: BJP poised to cross 220 seats
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is poised to cross 220 seats, well ahead of the United Progressive Alliance and within striking distance of forming a government in 2014 if elections are held today.
NE women harassed MOST in Delhi, safest in Mumbai
The national capital has earned the dubious distinction of meting out maximum discrimination and harassment to women from northeast, a survey has said.
8 trends that will matter in the Lok Sabha election
'Modi is extremely lucky that in different regions and in different communities, he enjoys different images. His public image evokes all the emotions between hope to fear, but the message that if he comes to power he will do some development is percolating down faster than his other images.' Three months away from the Lok Sabha election, Rediff.com's checks out the emerging political trends.
M K Alagiri: The troublemaker son in the DMK
Former Union Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Alagiri was on Friday suspended from the party on charges of going against the party's stand and airing divergent views on the issue of stitching an alliance with Vijaykant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam.
We erred, but Somnath Bharti did NOT, says AAPAmid demands for removal of Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti for the midnight raid episode, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday came in his defence, saying he had sought action against the alleged drug and prostitution racket on the basis of "some evidence".
Now, a former Congress CM thinks EVMs are defective!
'I know people will say I am raising this issue because I have lost. There have been a lot of complaints about the electronic voting machines. There is a view that the machines were defective. 'When advanced countries like Japan and the US have discarded the use of these machines and gone back to using ballot papers, the Election Commission should take a fresh look at this,' former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot tells Anita Katyal.
'Our priority as a nation should be on human development'
'Health, food and sanitation have improved. Poverty has reduced. We could have done better in education and nutrition. Malnutrition levels are very disturbing. It is our biggest problem and it is invisible,' says Anuradha Gupta, who spearheaded the successful campaign towards a polio-free India.
Republic Day QUIZ: Whose tableau is it anyway?
Can you match the tableau with the state? Go ahead and give it a shot
Why the anger against AAP's dharna may be misplaced
The AAP phenomenon is the voice of a people desperately wanting to believe that democracy and politics can create a decent society. For the media to ignore this and treat it as temporary one is both pompous and naïve, says Shiv Visvanathan
January 23, 2014
Which way will Delhi, UP and Rajasthan go if LS polls are held today
In the nationwide CNN-IBN Election Tracker conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies today we look at the northern states -- Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and how has been the performance of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Is it a crime to call us Hindus: Uddhav at Shiv Sena rally
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the "weakest" leader ever to hold the post.
VIDEO: Shankaracharya slaps journalist over question on ModiDwarka Shradha Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has been caught in a controversy after he slapped a television journalist. PHOTOS: Massive snowfall cuts off Kashmir from rest of India
Kashmir remained cut-off from the rest of the country for the second day on Thursday with road and air links to the Valley snapped due to snowfall, the heaviest in a decade in the month of January.
India's top performing MP on why he loves India
'Indians are not greedy people. They don't want the moon. But they have a right to demand basic necessities. And these Indians have now become vociferous about these demands,' says Anandrao Vithoba Adsul who will receive the Sansad Ratna award for raising the highest number of questions in Parliament.
Brrrr... From NYC to Washington, it's freezing again
Northeastern United States is slowly getting back to normal despite the frigid temperatures and flight delays across the region after the heavy snows that fell within the past 48 hours forcing offices and schools to close from Washington to New York.
Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia
Nearly 27,000 people have fled their homes, following a series of eruptions from Mount Sinabung, a volcano in Indonesia's north Sumatra province.
January 22, 2014
Which way will Guj, Maharashtra and MP go if LS polls are held today
In the nationwide CNN-IBN Election Tracker conducted by the CSDS, we look at Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and how big an issue is corruption in the Lok Sabha polls?
Midnight raid: Pressure mounts on Kejriwal to act against Bharti
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday faced mounting demands for the removal of controversial Law Minister Somnath Bharti after an African woman identified him as allegedly heading a group of assaulters in a mid-night raid.
FREEZE FRAME: White-out in Kashmir Valley, again
Kashmir Valley had its second heaviest snowfall on Wednesday bringing life to a grinding halt.
BJP is anti-Muslim; they will destroy India: Chidambaram
As India prepares for elections, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party terming its economic policies as retrograde and "blood-eyed" and asked why it's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had never fielded a Muslim candidate.
Exclusive! Why the '$700 bn man' is a candidate with a difference
'I feel blessed. My parents came to America 50 years ago from India. My family wasn't wealthy, but I had a huge advantage because my parents were highly educated and they made sure that my sister and I got a good education. Because I got a good education, all of the opportunities in America have been opened to me and that's what makes America great.' On Tuesday, January 21, Neel Kashkari, the son of Kashmiri Pandit immigrants, declared his candidature for California's governor. If the young Republican unseats incumbent Governor Jerry Brown, he will be California's first Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa, Kashkari, who played a key role in reviving the US economy after the crisis of 2008, reveals what pushed him to consider a career in politics.
Sakshi Tanwar: 'Being Indian means everything to me'
'Each part of India has something to offer -- the mountains in the north, the sand dunes in the west, the heavenly valleys in the east, the sun, surf and sea in the south...With the Paradise on earth and God's own country here, we have the best, in any direction,' says popular television actress Sakshi Tanwar in Rediff.com's continuing series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
Love, smiles and hope can make even death look easy
Meet Mansi Shah and Abhishek Tatiya, two not-so-typical entrepreneurs, who have left behind plush careers to set up 'Happy Feet Home', the first of its kind hospice centre for terminally ill children in India.
January 21, 2014
Which way will TN, K'taka, Kerala and AP go if LS polls are held today
CNN-IBN & CSDS has conducted a nationwide election tracker that covers the eastern states of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha, the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala; Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh of West India and three northern states of Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
No controversy, only democracy: JLF ends with a bang!
In spite of the wet and wintery weather, the annual extravaganza of the Jaipur Literature Festival ended on a warm note on Tuesday evening. Rediff.com's reports from Jaipur.
Kejriwal on street politics: 'Hamari rajniti to aise hi chalegi'
spends a bleak, rainy, winter day at the Aam Aadmi Party's dharna outside the Union home ministry in New Delhi and speaks exclusively to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about his motivations.
Kejriwal's Tirade: 'Unfortunate', 'Insulting', 'Dangerous'
Even as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal continues his tirade demanding action against policemen who refused to carry out a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring on a Delhi minister's directive last week, the political class seems to be united in slamming his confrontationist track.
Why the IAF does NOT want this Russian jet
The Indian Air Force has alleged that the Russians reluctant to share critical design information, besides technical and cost issues. Ajai Shukla reports
'India is in an unfinished story...'
'...and all of us need to do more to give it a happy Bollywood ending. I used to be a huge optimist but now I have become somewhat of a pessimist. As a country, we don't seem to want to get things right,' Sanjoy Roy, producer of the Jaipur Literary Festival, the biggest free annual literary event in the world.
SC terminates 15 death sentences
In a landmark judgment, Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted death penalty for 15 convicts on the grounds of delay and mental illness.
Mapping the AAP shock win in New DelhiRediff.com's data experts using maps provide insights on how the nation's capital voted in the the AAP to power. Do you know how much our PM and CMs earn? Click HERE
Do you know that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's monthly salary is way higher that Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi? Rediff.com takes a look at the salaries of India's ruling elite
January 20, 2014
Why Arvind Kejriwal's ambition is also his dilemma Arvind Kejriwal, Mr Anti-Establishment, wants to play politics without being branded as the typical Indian politician so that he can make his mark in the 2014 general election. While hiding his political manoeuvring, the Aam Admi Party's maverick leader is seeking fresh intervention in the agenda of the nation by agitating on the footpaths of New Delhi, says .
Which way will WB, Odisha and Bihar go if LS polls are held today
Which way will WB, Odisha and Bihar go if LS polls are held today.
Grandma was the boss at home: Rahul Gandhi
Batting for early passage of women's reservation bill, Rahul Gandhi on Monday vowed to work for larger representation to them in Parliament, government and Congress and noted that the party and the country cannot ignore the views of half of the population.
'We must put India and its people first, every time'
'We have to find a way to re-look our notion of Democracy. It has to be a vigorous, honest democracy. The Aam Aadmi Party has shown us the possibility of a different way of thinking, that is all. In its victory, there are shortfalls which might make it fail intrinsically,' says one of India's best-known theatre personalities .
'Anarchist' Kejriwal sits on dharna, will clear files from there
In an unprecedented face-off with the Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday began a dharna in front of Rail Bhavan calling himself an "anarchist" and asking "honest" police officials to take leave and join his protest demanding action against some of their colleagues.
'If our society was equal, men would also be prostitutes'
'If you are being paid less than your male colleagues, file a complaint about it, make a noise... If you are being given a hard time over issues like maternity leave, complain to your boss's wife! Be innovative. Get involved.' On the sidelines of the Jaipur Literary Festival, legendary activist Gloria Steinem interacted with a select group of journalists, including Rediff.com's Sanchari Bhattacharya, and addressed an array of issues including the Pope, prostitution and personal victories.
Vote: Who is the most admired of them all? 
Seven of the 30 most-admired people on the planet are Indians. Now, isn't that cool?
January 19, 2014
Freedom, for Afghanistan and for us, rules Day 3 of JLF!
Rediff.com's reports on all the action from Day 3 at the Jaipur Literature Festival
'For 60 yrs you were ruled, give me a chance to serve for 60 months'
The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress, saying it had desisted from projecting Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate as Sonia Gandhi did not want to "sacrifice" her son politically in view of the "imminent defeat".
PIX: Chronicling the pink city's timeless beauty
Swati Vashishtha chronicles the history and beauty of the pink city. reports
January 18, 2014
Sunanda's death: Shashi Tharoor is in big trouble
Sunanda Pushkar's shocking and 'unnatural' demise has brought Union minister Shashi Tharoor's political career under the scanner, and with no leniency being shown by the Congress party, it seems the flamboyant MP will have to fight his own battle, reports .
Kejriwal interview: Won't spare Cong in graft cases; can contest LS polls
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday hit out at the Congress that the Aam Aadmi Party had not asked for support, rather 'they imposed it on us'.
PIX: 18 killed in stampede, lakhs gather to attend Syedna's last journey
people were killed and over 40 injured in a stampede as thousands of mourners converged to pay their last respects to the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community Syedna Burhanuddin in upscale Malabar Hill in South Mumbai in the wee hours on Saturday, in worst such tragedy in the metropolis.
Rahul does the magic, but will it last?
The Congress No 2 was the hero of Friday's party meet, but senior leaders have their share of doubts if his pace will sustain till the upcoming polls.
Shashi Tharoor... controversies just keep finding him
As a man who has courted controversies ever since he plunged into electoral politics, the death of his wife could become the focus of yet another row for Union Minister Shashi Tharoor.
January 17, 2014
Will go smiling: Sunanda Pushkar tweeted
"Joh hona hota hai woh hokay rahega.... Hastay huay jayengey (whatever is destined to happen will happen. will go smiling)", were the among the last tweets of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, who was found dead in a five-star hotel room in New Delhi on Friday night.
Colour, cacophony but no controversy: JLF 2014 takes off!
Jaipur Literature Festival, the self-proclaimed 'greatest literary show on earth', is back.
PICS: Amartya Sen's 7 wishes for a better India
The seventh edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, a mega annual gathering of litterateurs kicked off in Jaipur on Friday with a keynote speech by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
'I want an India strong, tender and considerate'
'Youth has the power to change whatever it wants. They are the future. Youth has the power to set fire to water,' says champion boxer Akhil Kumar, in our continuing series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
Congress -- Between AAP and a hard place
Sudden shifts in electoral loyalties could make the timing of Rahul Gandhi's assertion of leadership somewhat inopportune, notes Bharat Bhushan.
20 kitchens like this feed 12 lakh children daily
Sanjeev Nayyar gets inside a kitchen that's more than just feeding hungry children; it is liberating them -- irrespective of caste, creed, sex or religion -- not just on the physical level but also on a spiritual level.
'Rahul Gandhi is still confused'
In a freewheeling interview with rediff.com's Anita Katyal, former hockey champion Aslam Sher Khan says that declaring Rahul as PM candidate is not that important. Instead, what is really need is for Rahul to win the trust and confidence of party workers through his actions
Modi a good man, AAP lacks experience: Sri Sri
Sri Sri Ravishankar has praised Gujarat Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a "good man" but said he has no opinion about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as he was not acquainted with him.
Sonia gets cold feet, Congressmen worried
Congress President Sonia Gandhi's decision not to name Rahul Gandhi as the party's prime ministerial candidate has demoralised the already-bruised cadre. Expect a stormy AICC session in New Delhi on Friday, says Renu Mittal
Sonia Gandhi evades the BJP trap
By choosing not to declare her son Rahul Gandhi as the party's prime ministerial candidate, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has averted a Modi versus Rahul battle and effectively insulated her family against a backlash over a possible defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
January 16, 2014
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: 'We are the most accommodating people in the world'
'We go on to make a name for ourselves in the world, rise above the ordinary in the face of deprivation. The innate tendency to persevere is, I think, a great quality Indians possess,' says one of India's finest actors .
Michelle Obama, 50 and fabulous
A look at the different hues of Michelle Obama
Tharoor's Twitter account hacked, romantic tweets sent to Pak journo
The Twitter handle of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, one of the most popular Indian politicians on the networking site, was hacked on Tuesday and some wacky tweets were sent from it to a Pakistani journalist.
January 15, 2014
Congress divided over Rahul's nomination as PM
As the debate in the Congress over its vice-president Rahul Gandhi's declaration as the party's prime ministerial candidate continues to rage on, there is growing pressure from the rank and file that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should step down and the Nehru-Gandhi scion be sworn in his place. reports
'If Modi couldn't prevent riots in Guj, how can he generate unity?'
Kicking off her party's election campaign at a mega rally in Lucknow, Mayawati on Wednesday said the Bahujan Samaj Party would not forge an alliance with Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party or any other party and would go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls.
Signs of a thaw: US returns priceless sculptures to India
The three artifacts date back to the 11th and 12th century AD and were stolen from temples in India which were recovered by US investigators. The repatriation ceremony at the New York consulate witnessed a guarded silence over the Devyani Khobragade controversy. Rediff.com's report from New York.
Surprise from the sky: How paratroopers shape the battle
'Amongst all the air-land operations in pursuit of a common military objective, it is the airborne operation which demands the greatest synergy,' says Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam on the occasion of Army Day.
L'affaire indecent: Sex scandals of the French elite
The French have their own way of keeping the world entertained.
'AAP needs a constructive agenda to govern and seed real improvement'Despite missteps, Arvind Kejriwal and his party could move beyond an attacking strategy to improve our polity, says Shyam Ponappa
January 14, 2014
PIX: Salman looks at Modi and says 'let the best man become PM'
Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Tuesday mat Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, where the actor was spotted flying kites with the politician during Uttarayan festivites.
'We have to travel around this country to know its heart'
'I hail from Sikkim and have strived to make a mark on the national scene. Generally whatever happens in the North-East remains confined to those parts. People from there are hard working and courteous. Only those who have visited and experienced their hospitality will relate to it,' says football star .
Nabbing Dawood: No action, only posturing in the last 20 years!
Security experts tell that the fact that Dawood may spill out his links with prominent politicians, businessmen and film personalities if he is nabbed can be the reason behind the lackluster attitude.
VOTE! Do you REALLY think Rahul is ready for PM's post?
The impact of Rahul Gandhi's latest move cannot be assessed until we get to know how the people of India will react to his interview. To get a sense of that we request our dear readers to cast their votes in a poll.
'Samajwadi leaders's insensitivity indicates their criminal approach'
'The camps were never given any help from the UP government. They did not provide rations, milk, medical assistance or sanitary arrangements...Once the compensation payments started being made, the UP government's entire effort was to get the people out of the camps... The situation was compounded by the fact that those accused of murder, arson and rape were not arrested. How could the victims be expected to return to their village homes? The extreme cold made the situation even more appalling. The deaths occurring regularly were a result of this.' Former MP Subhasini Ali discusses the horrific Muzaffarnagar riots and its tragic aftermth with Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar.
Meet Rahul's new generals for 2014 Lok Sabha battle
With Rahul Gandhi at the helm, the grand old party is all set for a makeover with preference to new and young faces. Here's a look at Congress's A-Team
Akhilesh is turning into a 'despot'. Here's proof
Perhaps unwittingly, young Samajwadi chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has forgotten that it was the media campaign against Mayawati's undemocratic and despotic ways that helped him to romp home with a clear majority. Sharat Pradhan reports
AAP will ruin Congress, but Modi is still PM choice: Poll
Arvind Kejriwal's AAP likely to impact congress the most and other parties to a lesser extent in the Lok Sabha polls, predicts the Snap poll conducted by ABP News-Nielsen in Delhi and Mumbai.
January 13, 2014
PHOTOS: Tales from the forgotten villages of Ladakh
Burdened with a troubled history and a present steeped in conflict, five small villages on the India-Pakistan border in Ladakh, have many untold stories, finds
ODD WORLD: Superman takes first bath of 2014!
We bring you a collection of some of the odd moments from around the world in recent weeks.
What was Edward Snowden doing in India?
Intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden worked at the United States Embassy in India and took a course in "ethical hacking" in Delhi, about three years before he leaked the NSA's surveillance programmes that embarrassed the Obama administration.
PIX: Makarsankranti dip at Gangasagar in evening hours after 65 yrs
After a gap of 65 years, the pious Makarsankranti dip at Gangasagar, the second largest after Kumbh Mela, will again take place during the evening hours on Tuesday, the Chief Priest of the Kapilmuni Temple said.
'No help from FBI on Dawood, Shinde is lying'
Former Union home secretary-turned-Bharatiya Janata Party leader RK Singh spills the beans on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN.
Time is running out for the Great Congress Makeover!
Faced with a demoralised army, the Congress leadership has to find the right answers as the party heads into what is fast turning out to be an extremely tough electoral battle, says
Bangalore South: What works for Nilekani, and what doesn't
Nilekani faces an uphill task in his bid to counter the massive anti-Congress wave, but that doesn't mean it will be a cake walk for BJP's Anath Kumar. discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of Nilekani, and also lists BJP's woes.
Dhoom3 director: 'One man's telephone bill is another man's earnings for a year' 
'In the freedom struggle and immediately after that, we had a sense of belonging to the same world, to the same country, to India. We have lost that sense of oneness. We have been manipulated and divided and that saddens me today, says Dhoom 3 Director Vijay Krishna Acharya.
January 12, 2014
Pix: 'Shiv Sena' activists vandalise Kolhapur toll plaza, set it ablaze
Even as the agitation against toll collection on nine roads in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city took a violent turn on Sunday with suspected Shiv Sena activists vandalising four toll booths, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan appealed the agitators to remain calm.
AAP's Kumar Vishwas targets Rahul: Sleeping in Dalit homes won't change things
After dethroning the Congress in its Delhi bastion, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to throw the gauntlet at the grand old party's second-in-command Rahul Gandhi -- and that too in Amethi, the political home ground of the Gandhis for decades.
January 11, 2014
Chaos cuts short CM Kejriwal's first 'janata darbar'Chaos prevailed at the first 'janata darbar' organised by the Aam Aadmi Party government outside the Delhi Secretariat on Saturday, forcing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to leave the venue mid-way as thousands gathered to register their grievances.
Devyani Episode: 'It was the most stupid thing to do'
Recognising that the damage that the diplomat row has done to the India-US relationship, there is a realisation in the top American leadership that "it was the most stupid thing to do" on their part and that they would now have to "work overtime" to bring back the ties on track.
Akhilesh ko 'gussa' kyon aata hai?
Is Akhilesh Yadav's anger a reflection of his inept handling of a crisis or manifestation of frustration on account of his gross incapacity to steer the ship he was entrusted to in a dynastic succession? examines
January 10, 2014
Salman visited a hospital in UP, but no one cares: CM
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday hit back at critics and defended the Saifai Mahotsav -- a festival organised by the state government -- saying the budget for the festival was around Rs six to seven crore, not Rs 300 crore as alleged by a section of the media.
MNS' poll season clarification: We were NEVER against North Indians
Apparently eyeing a larger role in Maharashtra politics, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra
When Rahul Gandhi listened to the 'voice of people'
Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised early declaration of candidates for Lok Sabha polls under a "new process" reflecting the "voice of people" in Congress.
Dial 07798220033 to be an AAP member; it's free
Buoyed by its spectacular success in Delhi Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party today kicked off a nation-wide membership drive with an aim of including at least 1 crore members by January 26 to strengthen the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
PHOTOS: Polar vortex eases grip on frozen US
As it continued its northward retreat, the arctic blast still held sway over the upper Midwest, where it bore down with below-zero lows early Friday.
PHOTOS: A picture-perfect snowy winter in Kashmir
Kashmir valley is in the grip of a cold wave following fresh snowfall. reports
Cash crunch? Who cares? It's shopping time for defence ministry
Notwithstanding the financial constraints, the defence ministry has been on a drive to procure and upgrade military assets over the last five years for which it spent a whopping amount of Rs 3.25 lakh crore.
January 09, 2014
IMAGES: 'Phantom of Dantewada': Big catch for NIA, bigger blow to Naxals
The surrender of top Naxal leader Gudsa Usendi, mastermind of many lethal strikes including the attack on a Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh last year, is certainly a good news for the NIA, reports .
'There is no money to run the Railways'
Former Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi speaks to rediff.com's about why the Railways is today on the brink of collapse.
Nuclear security: India worse than Pakistan!
India has been ranked below its two nuclear-armed neighbours -- Pakistan and China -- in the list of countries with a weak nuclear material security in the world, according to a US-based think-tank.
Aamir wows Kolkata lit fest with mesmerising speech on Abul Kalam Azad
When West Bengal Governor introduced the Bollywood star as an "icon who needed no introduction" - he seemed to sum up Kolkata's frenzied response to Aamir Khan, reports .
Aam Aadmi Party: The Optimist vs The Sceptic
In these few weeks, it has kindled great hopes for clean governance in Delhi and beyond, tempered by strong misgivings about the party's economic and urban policies. What follows is an imaginary dialogue between the Optimist and the Sceptic.
Now showing: South India's dirty picture!
It is difficult to legally pursue such cases as pornographic videos shot in India are often smuggled out of the country, says
VIDEO: India's 2 floating fortresses togetherIt was a momentous moment for India when after a gap of over two decades its navy operated two aircraft carriers in its maritime zone with the arrival of its largest warship INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea where it is now operating with INS Viraat. 'It is too late for Priyanka to pull the Congress out of the mess'
Rahul gets a helping hand for 2014: Priyanka steps in to boost her brother's prospects for the prime minister's post, writes
IN PHOTOS: After the big freeze, US heads for the big thaw
The United States wakes up to a warmer morning with the polar vortex on its way out.
Raj blasts Modi's 'Gujarati focus' in Mumbai; says 'MNS is AAP ka Baap'
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray, once considered close to Narendra Modi, on Thursday said that the Gujarat chief minister should have resigned the day he was nominated BJP's prime ministerial candidate, a suggestion immediately rejected by the saffron party.
'My vision for India is where every citizen is equal in the eyes of one law'
How many who celebrate India's Republic Day and Independence Day know that the Indian tri-colour was first unfurled in Moirang in Manipur by the Indian National Army in 1944?
January 08, 2014
Captain Gopinath: 'Youth need to understand the spirit of India'
'Corruption is the biggest problem confronting us. We need to bring about an urgent change in our way of life and also in the political scenario,' says , founder of India's first low-cost airline Air Deccan who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party, in our ongoing series celebrating the India we love.
In PHOTOS: Here it's colder than Mars! 
The Arctic chill, which has now extended to the east, has left all of the United States and Canada frozen.
Why does Indian Railways have SO MANY burning trains?
Authorities of Indian Railways, which has witnessed a worrying spate of fire-related mishaps in the last few years, are yet to take any concrete steps to address the issue.
Photos: Mumbai-Dehradun Express catches fire, 9 killed
Nine people were charred to death when a fire broke out in three coaches of the Mumbai-Dehradun Express train near Dahanu road in neighbouring Thane district in the wee hours of Wednesday.
PHOTOS: Surviving the coldest places on earth
As the savage Arctic blast threatens the coldest weather in the United States in two decades, Rediff.com looks at some of the coldest places in the world with record-setting low temperatures
'Modi has a secular image now'
'Otherwise, the minorities would not have acknowledged his leadership quality. I am happy the BJP is working towards achieving a secular image,' Vellappally Natesan, the OBC leader in Kerala who has created a controversy by supporting Narendra Modi, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.
January 07, 2014
Has the era of strong chief ministers come to an end?
Has the country lost its secret weapon for competing with growing countries like China and Brazil? reports
17 Corps: The Army just got itself a white elephant
The new mountain strike corps, created to deter Chinese adventurism and launch offensives, will financially damage India's military. reports
Jaitley's 3 arguments to exonerate Modi of Guj riots charges
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha tries to tear apart the 'mischievous' allegations over the 2002 Gujarat riots against Gujarat chief minister, and now BJP's PM candidate, Narendra Modi.
INS Vikramaditya finally reaches home base in Karwar
After a gap of over two decades, India is operating two aircraft carriers in its maritime zone with the arrival of its largest warship INS Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea where it is now operating with INS Viraat
Have you seen GSLV-D5's spectacular lift-off? 
ISRO has put out stunning photos of the launch of GSLV-D5. The vehicle smoothly lifted off to space from Sriharikota on Sunday afternoon and put India into the elite 'cryogenic club'.
Soha Ali Khan: 'India is like one big happy family'
'2014 is an important year as everyone is obsessed about who is going to be the next prime minister but I think we need to see beyond that. The problems are going to be the same, irrespective of whichever party forms the government,' says actress in our special series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
POLAR FREEZE: Here's a glimpse from the ice age 
The brutal Arctic blast threatens the coldest weather in the United States in two decades. Is the worst yet to come?
Now that's cool! China's fantabulous SNOW festival
We present images from the 30th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China which opened on Sunday and lasts for weeks.
Jayalalithaa as PM: Mathematically, it's possible
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's aspirations to be prime minister seem entirely logical with more multi-cornered contests, uncertainty in Andhra Pradesh and the winner-takes-all history of elections in Tamil Nadu. Praveen Chakravarty explains.
January 06, 2014
US braces for dangerous Arctic blast
A rare "polar vortex" on Monday descended into much of the United States, pummelling parts of the country with a dangerous cold that could break decades-old records with wind chill warnings stretching from Montana to Alabama.
'The idea of India is special and achievable'
'Our priority should be inculcating a work culture and positive nationalism among people, especially the young,' says novelist , in our continuing series where well-known Indians speak about the India they love.
In Photos: Americans 'chill' as freak winter sets in
Most of the United States is shivering under the worst winter the country has experienced in 20 years.
Worst fog in 8 years affects 600 flights at Delhi airport
The worst fog of the last eight years has affected the schedule of over 600 domestic and international flights at Delhi airport, causing inconvenience to thousands of travellers.
Corrupt netas LOOT India of Rs 73,00,00,00,00,00,000!
Politicians have used hawala transactions to park money received via bribes and other immoral ways for scores of years
What a 20-yr-old Indian boy thinks about his one-way ticket to Mars
Amulya Nidhi Rastogi, a 20-year-old student of engineering in Gurgaon, is one of 1,058 applicants shortlisted from over 200,000 across the world to be part of an ambitious one-way trip to Mars.
January 05, 2014
How ISRO tamed 'naughty boy' GSLV-D5
India on Sunday successfully launched its heavy-duty rocket with indigenous cryogenic engine that placed a communication satellite into the orbit, with Indian Space Research Organisation scientists finally taming the 'naughty boy' GSLV and propelling the country into an elite club of countries.
PICS: ISRO successfully launches indigenous cryogenic engine
In a New Year gift to the nation, the Indian Space Research Organisation on Sunday successfully launched a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle with an indigenous cryogenic engine from the spaceport of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, entering a select club of nations.
January 04, 2014
Death for rapists is only compensation I want: Kolkata braveheart's father
Kolkata is on the boil after the gang rape and subsequent murder of a teenager in Madhyamgram area in the northern fringe of the city. Rediff.com's met the girl's father Ramshankar Jha.
PHOTOS: Arvind Kejriwal not to take up duplex flats
Facing criticism, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced his decision not to take up the two five-bedroom duplex flats he has been allotted. He told the media that he has asked the government to look for smaller accommodation for him.
PHOTOS: Massive snowstorm brings northeastern US to a halt
A massive snowstorm slammed the US northeast, dumping as much as 20 inches of snow in some areas, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights and bringing life to a standstill across major cities from Boston to New York on Friday.
January 03, 2014
Arshad Warsi: 'We are a country with a solid backbone'
'India is like a world in itself. The sad part is that that the bad things overshadow the good,' says actor in our special series where well-known Indians speak about the India they adore.
Modi as PM disastrous, Rahul has credentials: Dr Singh
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday declared that he would bow out of office after the Lok Sabha elections and strongly backed Rahul Gandhi for the job while warning that Narendra Modi would be "disastrous" for the country.
'If we don't watch out, the great things about the Internet could be risked'
'I should be able both to post a joke or comment about a political leader and not worry it will land me in jail, as well as check my personal online bank account, and not worry it will be stolen,' Peter Warren Singer, author of a new book on the subject, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
IN PHOTOS: The crazy, freezing New Year dips!
We present images of brave souls across the world taking part in New Year's Day dips in freezing waters!
Dr Singh set to face some uncomfortable questions today
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will seek to dispel the perception of policy paralysis on Friday when he addresses a press conference during which he is expected to spell out the steps taken to boost the economy besides addressing issues of corruption and price rise.
The SHIELD Manmohan Singh is counting on
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh readies to face some tough questions in his interaction with mediapersons on Friday, he will largely base his arguments on a performance report of the United Progressive Alliance government.
January 02, 2014
PHOTOS: -12.2 degrees! Kashmir's freezing
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country remained closed for the third consecutive day on Thursday as the Valley and Ladakh region reeled under intense cold conditions with the night temperature in Pahalgam plunging to the season's lowest of minus 12.2 degrees Celsius.
Flashback 2013A look at the events and people that made headlines in the year gone by Weed on sale: 2014 begins with a bang in Colorado
The world's first state-licensed marijuana retailers legally permitted to sell pot for recreational use to the general public opened for business in Colorado on Wednesday with long lines of customers, marking a new chapter in America's drug culture.
Arvind Kejriwal's AAP wins trust voteThe minority Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday crossed the first hurdle in the Delhi assembly when its confidence motion sailed through easily with the backing of the members of Congress, Janata Dal-United and an independent.
January 01, 2014
The REAL story: Why the PM decided to break his silence
Dr Singh was extremely reluctant to address the press conference and he agreed only after considerable persuasion from senior Congress leaders, says Anita Katyal
Will Arvind Kejriwal's govt survive the trust vote?
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will face a crucial vote of confidence on Thursday in the Delhi assembly.
Archives
April 2013 - December 2013 |
January 2013 - March 2013 |
November 2012 - December 2012 |
September 2012 - October 2012 | August 2012 | July 2012 | June 2012 | May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011 | September 2011 | August 2011 | July 2011 | June 2011 | May 2011 | April 2011 | March 2011 | February 2011 | January 2011 | December 2010 | November 2010 | October 2010 | Sepetember 2010 | August 2010 | July 2010 | Jun 2010 | May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010
© 2013 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Careers - Feedback - Terms of use