Tokyo was certainly in a celebratory mood on Friday as a vibrant performance, including fireworks in the shape and colour of the five Olympic rings, briefly lit up the skyline of the city of over 14 million people.
The International Landscape Photographer of the Year has again delivered a truly awe-inspiring selection of highlights in its seventh year. From fairy-tale inspired forest shots to beautifully surreal drone perspectives, this incredible competition highlights the diversity of landscape photography. Take a look...
Malavika vacationed in California and Vietnam.
While the infection has been mild in most reported cases, those below two years of age are showing signs of acute infection.
Missed the biggest news from last week? Here's what happened in the world in photos.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Even as the community and the country struggle to come to terms with this attack, stories of survival emerge.
All of the top news of the week gone by, in photos.
Apart from the second pandemic upsurge in Haryana which devastated its cities and villages, in most districts panchayats stopped inviting BJP-JJP leaders to social gatherings, while a few announced a boycott.
A fascinating glimpse from Somak Ghoshal's 10 Indian Heroes Who Help People Live With Dignity.
Readers share their travel photos. You can share yours too!
Over 3,000 people showed up at Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade.
While it is heartening to see companies chipping in with their messages of support, they are probably walking a tightrope here.
Two young entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu are making pencils eco-friendly.
'Stories can change people.' 'But there's a story we have been afraid to see and hear about ourselves in this industry.' 'A story about which voices we respect and elevate, and which we tune out.' 'Story about who's offered a seat at the table and who is kept out of the rooms where the decisions are made.'
'God gave me a second chance to live and I had to make the most of it.'
The world had almost completely forgotten about Partition, and many never learned about it, says Guneeta Singh Bhalla, the woman who founded the 1947 Partition Archive.
Chandratal is utterly mesmerizing, says Rediff reader Mridula Dwivedi. Here she shares these amazing pictures of her Himalayan adventure.
Aseem Chhabra picks Indian and other South Asian gems at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Steve Finn helped England dominate Australia in another Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead. A day later, there were celebrations across China as Beijing won the rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. And, on Sunday, Premier League club Arsenal finally won bragging rights after beating Chelsea 1-0 to clinch the Community Shield to kick-start their season on a positive note. Rediff.com has all this and a lot more action from the week gone by, snapped right here!
From the boys who used to hand out tickets to people on the streets and invite them to their concerts free of charge to the men selling out Wembley Stadium in less than a day, having about 20 songs on Billboards #1, BTS have come a long way, says Maya Dominic, a fan of the Korean pop band.
General T N Raina was an iconic Indian military leader whose contributions to the nation should be more widely known, notes Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
Breathtaking views of some of the world's most scenic landscapes have been showcased at this year's Epson International Pano Awards. In its eighth year, the event pays homage to the work of panoramic photographers worldwide and is the largest competition for panoramic photography. The competition was stiff with 5,377 entries from 1,322 photographers in 71 countries this year, battling it out for the top spots in five categories, for several special awards, and for some of the $50,000 in cash and prizes offered. The organisers were kind enough to share some of the winners and top scorers here.
The first good view of the aftermath of Nepal's deadly earthquake from a satellite showed that a broad swath of ground near Kathmandu lifted vertically
'When I was leaving, my daughter gave me her extra suitcase and a hug and said: "This was so much fun, we must do it again".' 'When I reminded her that I'd hardly seen her at all during her vacation, she said, "But what's the point of that when we see each other every day at home?"' says Kishore Singh.
In rural Bengal, people still believed that widows were simply biding their time on earth after their lord and master had departed from it, says Geetanjali Krishna.
'There is economic danger: Not inflation, but a slowdown that feeds an employment crisis,' says T N Ninan.
The best of India and the Middle East, now at the Dharamsala Film Festival.
'As some of the marchers shouted, "Hum apna adhikar mangte, nahin kisi se bheekh mangte, (we are fighting for our rights; we are not beggars)," the message of the parade was clear.'
Emotional embraces, tears of joy and an overwhelming message of equality washed over Australia after a majority of 61.6 per cent voted in favour of legalising gay marriage. Thousands of 'Yes' advocates erupted at the designated areas throughout the country.
Ivanka spoke for a good 15 minutes, gracefully, looking straight at her audience, her face wreathed often in winning smiles. She is an articulate, striking, woman who charmed her audience.
The Ariana Grande's Sunday Manchester benefit gig was bold. And triumphant. She, and several of the world's top musicians, belted out an evening of song with the unstoppable message: Fight terrorism with music.
National Geographic was kind enough to let us display the winning images and honourable mentions from the four categories: Wildlife, Landscapes, Aerials, and Underwater.
Pop sensation Psy brought the house down 'Gangnam Style' as Incheon laid out the red carpet for over 13,000 competitors from 45 countries with an exhilarating opening ceremony to launch the 17th Asian Games at the main stadium on Friday.
Rampant corruption by Congress ministers must be counted as the single biggest factor to prompt the electorate to hand over a thumping mandate to the Communist parties, says M K Bhadrakumar.
There's more to this country than just the Northern Lights.
Here are some of the best photos from around the world in the month gone by...
Indian Americans and the larger Asian American community praised the United State Supreme Court ruling that provided same-sex couples the right to marry.
'Long Distance Running is not merely a sport, it's life's breath.' 'While everyone breathes so they can run, runners run so they can breathe,' says Krishna Kumar.
