'A poor candidate was given a chance so that the concerns of ordinary, needy citizens could be represented.'
The opposition on Saturday termed the absence of female journalists from a press conference of visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi "unacceptable" and an "insult to women", and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the "emptiness" of his slogans on Nari Shakti.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly Melbourne pitch on which 20 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test has prompted Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik to point out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
The 68th Grammy Awards began at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
A 17-year-old student who had topped his district in the 2023 class 10 board examinations allegedly committed suicide, just hours before he was to appear for his class 12 physics pre-board exam, police said.
On stage, Sing And Tonic comes across as effortless with tight harmonies, confident vocals and a chemistry that feels instinctive. What the audience doesn't immediately see is that, once the lights go off, the band members step back into lives that are just as demanding.
'My lasting memory of you is your absolute humility in the face of hardships as well as success.'
Abhishek encountered problems whenever the length was marginally shortened, but the way he used his feet was pure joy to watch.
Nanda says of Manmohan Desai: 'I wanted a husband who doesn't bow down before anyone else.' 'He has worked with Amitabh Bachchan in so many films but it's always on a one-to-one basis. I admire that.'
Years of repression and disappearances have taught Venezuelans, the hard way, not to voice either their anger or their joy, observes Radha Roy Biswas who spent her formative years in Venezuela.
Stay somewhere that's as memorable as your destination, and India's got plenty of surprises!
'I really want to get someone to do a painting of me. I need to find an artist but from my view.'
Vrusshabha feels like a ChatGPT prompt gone wrong, where the lazy ask for a sure-shot 'Pan Indian' blockbuster formula gives us a flimsy period epic in the guise of an incompetently drawn 'reincarnation drama', observes Arjun Menon.
rediffGURU Anu Krishna suggests how to deal with a partner who doesn't contribute to house chores.
Dubai spoils you, discovers Rishika Shah, and you don't even realise it until you leave.
A Trinamool Congress councillor in West Bengal protested being listed as deceased in the draft electoral rolls by walking into a crematorium, highlighting concerns about voter list accuracy ahead of state elections.
Ashwin said bluntly that Lyon is "lucky" to be in a system where a player can vent without fear of fallout.
There is nothing new or original about the storyline but loyalists may continue to be swept away by Emily's high-fashion escapades against the sun-drenched backdrops of Rome and postcard-perfect Venice, notes Divya Nair.
If the Somnath temple, which was attacked 1,000 years ago and faced continuous attacks thereon, could rise again and again, then we can surely restore our great nation to the glory it embodied 1,000 years ago before the invasions, asserts Narendra Modi.
'A locked door during intimacy does not mean negligence; it means respect,' says rediffGURU Kanchan Rai, founder of the Let Us Talk Foundation.
As she looked down at the Thames, she thought of the Brahmaputra. As she landed, smiling, it was clear that flying had never left her.
The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and others on a plea filed by a woman advocate alleging illegal detention and custodial sexual assault at a police station in Noida.
Saali Mohabbat escalates the hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned theme, and fashions a dark domestic thriller, discovers Deepa Gahlot.
Six months after the Air India AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, the site remains a haunting reminder for local residents, marked by charred remains and lingering memories of the tragic event.
As the year winds down, regardless of what it may have been, the belief is that the next year will be better, and that is what gives December its edge.
'A truly original Hindi writer whose writing no other author can match.'
Residents say the dogs did not allow anyone or anything to come near through the night, except the morning light itself.
Only firms that have scale in content and a technology engine that drives its discovery and monetisation can compete,' explains Vanita Kohli Khandekar.
This was a soaring evening that sent hearts aflutter and for a few brief moments we tasted the breath of pure freedom that has been missing in this country for the past several years.
Avatar: Fire And Ash is visually stunning and emotionally engaging, offering strong performances and thrilling action, notes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
The Critics Choice Awards was held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and saw Hollywood's A-listers get honoured at the first awards ceremony of the year.
The new US national security strategy signals a retreat from global dominance while reaffirming continuity in India's role in Indo-Pacific security and Quad cooperation, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Sack Gambhir before he damages any more careers, if you must. But it cannot stop there. The project ahead must be bigger, more ambitious, and far more urgent: Rebuilding the spine of Indian cricket from the grassroots up, and giving the Test team the seriousness it deserves. Only then will Indian cricket stop lurching from one crisis to another and begin, once again, to imagine greatness, suggests Prem Panicker.
'Caring for one's parents is the husband's responsibility, especially if he is the earning member of the family.' 'The wife may be financially dependent on him but that does not create a legal obligation for her to serve or care for her in-laws.'
Stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can extend their careers till the 2027 ODI World Cup if the two Indian superstars continue their age-defying batting efforts, feels New Zealand pace great Tim Southee.
'We have been fighting to treat political prisoners differently.' 'Except for Hyderabad and Kolkata, the concept of keeping political prisoners separate doesn't exist in India.'
A father mourns the loss of his only son in the Red Fort blast, highlighting the devastating impact on families and the community's response.
A seasoned politician and two-term Member of Parliament, Dr Shakeel Ahmad, who has served as a Union minister and senior Congress leader, resigned from the Congress party, marking the end of his decades-long association with an organisation that his family has been part of for three generations. In an interview with Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff he speaks why he quit the party.
The DMK may consider a two-tier campaign, where they keep the focus on Chief Minister Stalin, as a senior statesman with 50-plus years of political experience, and let EPS and the BJP shout in the wilderness. In such a case, the second-tier may project Udhayanidhi as the contender and chosen obstructionist in Vijay's path. The attempt, if any, would be to reduce Vijay to Udhayanidhi's level when the former is aiming at Stalin and Stalin alone in the state's political horizon, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
The year had a variety of films to choose from. Not all of them were successful at the box office, but had merit.
