As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
The country also mounted bids on some high-profile continental and global events, including the 2031 World Athletics Championships with Ahmedabad as the proposed venue.
'Our problem is not a budget deficit but a trust deficit. We need to trust our institutions and industries to innovate and lead. That is the way forward for India.'
'We have to show consistency and move forward with the current combination.'
The prayer meet was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President J P Nadda and many more ministers and parliamentarians.
Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of the July Uprising in Bangladesh, died after being shot, sparking protests and political unrest. The interim government has promised action, while demonstrators have targeted media outlets and blamed India.
Zomato was not just recovering, it was rebuilding and reinventing, showing signs of maturing as a business. Chaos had been turned into momentum. A fascinating excerpt from Megha Vishwanath's book, UNSEEN: The Untold Story of Deepinder Goyal And The Making Of Zomato.
'This is indeed a historic sporting achievement, a shining example of hardwork, team work and determination'
In India, cricket games are part of our geographical landscape like the Ganga or the Himalayas or the Western Ghats or Kanyakumari. Millions of games unfold across India at any time of day. Travel in any direction and you are bound to see a cricket game in progress -- be it urban gully cricket to games on dusty village grounds to roaring stadiums to famous greens that cradled cricket like Shivaji Park or Azad Maidan.
'It's a moment I'll never forget, having my family there.'
Hema's father couldn't contain his rage and almost physically pushed Dharmendra out of the house. 'Why don't you get out of my daughter's life? You are a married man, you can't marry my daughter,' he repeatedly yelled. But a pleading, helplessly sentimental and slightly inebriated Dharam could not be budged.
'This will split the Marathi and Shiv Sena vote.' 'The BJP has conducted 3 surveys indicating they shall secure 109 seats in the BMC.' 'They do not wish for the Shinde Sena to demonstrate excessive strength in the BMC.' 'If the Thackerays secure 60-70 seats, that will affect Shinde's seats.'
The 2026 World Cup will kick off-on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium - iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals - followed by South Korea against a play-off winner after the complex draw was made on Friday.
Images from Day 2 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Thursday
IPL Auction 2026 was not just about money; it was a celebration of ambition, opportunity, and the unrelenting belief that the next big star could come from anywhere.
Toyota Gazoo Racing, the Japanese car maker's motorsport division, will become title sponsor of the Haas Formula One team next season in a deal that strengthens an existing technical partnership.
Bandana Preyashi, the bold IAS officer from Bihar who took on dreaded dons, is the court-appointed mentor to 18-year-old Sakshi, who had fled home to follow her IAS dream.
'I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me.'
A key blow for JioStar came from an unlikely source: The Indian government's ban on real-money gaming, the sector that had become cricket's biggest advertiser.
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
After winning the ODI World Cup title by beating South Africa in the final in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, November 2, 2025, Harmanpreet's advice to budding youngsters is: "Never stop dreaming. You never know where your destiny will take you."
Investment proposals for around Rs 1.88 trillion through 35 major agreements, spread across deep tech, green energy, and aerospace, were the hallmark moment of the first day of the two-day "Telangana Rising Global Summit", which started on Monday.
A man from Himachal Pradesh, who went missing after losing his memory due to a head injury, was reunited with his family members after 45 years following another head bump that brought his memory back.
After Hema Malini posted her touching tribute to her husband Dharmendra, she followed it with more pictures of their beautiful life together.
IMAGES from the 3rd T20I between India and South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday.
It sure is a dream come true for these band of fearless, aspirational girls!
The Briton goes into Sunday's title decider in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri a further four behind.
Some days, the Gustakh Ishq actress is all about bold, experimental fits; other days, she's serving timeless elegance
Young Indian shuttler Shriyanshi Valishetty clinched her maiden BWF Super 100 title in the women's singles category at the $120,000 Al Ain Masters, defeating compatriot Tasnim Mir in a pulsating three-game final in Al Ain, the UAE, on Sunday.
Urban Negi, a highly-rated nine-year-old Indian-origin footballer, has signed with Everton FC's Under-9 Youth Academy.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed India's ICC Women's World Cup 2025 victory, calling it a historic moment for the nation and praising the team for "bringing the World Cup home."
Weddings today are not just events, they are full-blown productions. Between Instagram aesthetics, Pinterest pressure, relatives with opinions and budgets that magically stretch themselves, brides often find themselves overwhelmed long before the pheras begin.
'I was just a little kid in a darkened theatre, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room, and I remember looking up, and it seemed to just explode on the screen.'
'Someday I will summit all peaks, but right now I want to complete my BSc.'
It was a godsend for both Burns and Italy, who qualified for their maiden ICC World Cup by making the cut for next year's T20 showpiece India and Sri Lanka on Friday.
From beautifully decorated venues glowing under fairy lights to celebrity guests' dance performances, every function felt straight out of a Bollywood dream sequence. The biggest scene stealer, however, was Netra's wedding wardrobe.
India squandered a golden opportunity to return with two titles as both Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with runner-up finishes at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 in Hing Kong on Sunday.
'My parents have the biggest role in what I have become. They always told me that if you dream, dream big.'
'Sleep is when your blood pressure falls; this nocturnal dip is when the heart gets rest.'
Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif will race in WRC3 class as the World Rally Championship (WRC) makes its historic debut in Saudi Arabia.
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