The world welcomed 2026 with spectacular celebrations across continents. From dazzling fireworks illuminating iconic landmarks like the London Eye, Marina Bay, and Copacabana beach to intimate gatherings at historic sites, the New Year brought together diverse cultures in joyous unity.
Talk about a man in a hurry -- 10th seed Ben Shelton required just 55 seconds to finish off Australian Rinky Hijikata and reach the Wimbledon third round on Friday.
They have played for Olympic gold in parks, next to car parks and on royal parade grounds, but at the Rio Games beach volleyball will actually be played -- on a beach.
Erika Villaecija did as thousands of Rio de Janeiro's residents and visitors did on Sunday afternoon - she went to the city's famed Copacabana Beach.
Take a look at images from Pope Francis' first foreign trip as pontiff.
Israeli soldiers and tanks on the move in Gaza. Palestinians killed and wounded in Israeli strikes. When will it all end?
Authorities said they had received several complaints about the event, which Brazilian media reported was being held at Neymar's luxury condominium in Mangaratiba,
Presenting an interactive quiz on the greatest sporting show on earth.
The many moods of the fans at the World Cup in Brazil.
Home favourites Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca will be out to prove American Kerri Walsh Jennings's dream of a fourth successive Olympic gold is built on sand when beach volleyball returns to its spiritual home at the iconic Copacabana beach.
FIFA have downplayed security concerns for fans travelling to Brazil for the World Cup despite violent clashes between police and local residents of a favela this week.
Not even Bollywood's megastar Amitabh Bachchan was spared from the football bug that had bitten the whole world over the last month. Bachchan Sr tweeted about his trip to Rio de Janeiro and watching Brazil fall to another loss in the 3rd place match against The Netherlands at the just concluded FIFA World Cup.
As much as I would love to witness a Brazil-Argentina final at the Copacabana beach, Colombia, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina look like the semi-finalists and, if Argentina peaks at the right time, Germany vs Argentina could be the title match, says Mauktik Kulkarni.
Argentina and Brazil are traditional rivals and there was a time when their antagonism was being compared to India-Pakistan relations. They have overcome to a great extent their history of hostility. That an Argentinean Pope was so warmly embraced in Brazil shows that his great office does transcend such divides, notes B S Prakash, India's former ambassador to Brazil.
Parts of a mutilated body washed up on the sands of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, police said, just meters (yards) from where beach volleyball athletes will compete in the upcoming Olympics.
Will the German discipline take them to the final? Will Brazil be able to overcome the loss of Neymar Jr.? Will Argentina move its game to the next level for the semi-final? Or would the Dutch shrug off a bad day at work to reach the final again and get a shot at redemption?
Annemiek van Vleuten suffered three fractured vertebrae and a concussion after a horrifying high-speed crash in the Olympic women's road race on Sunday but the Dutch rider said she will be fine and was more disappointed at missing out on a medal.
Around 60 percent of Brazilians believe the games, expected to cost about 40 billion reais ($12.2 billion), will bring more harm than good to Brazil, while 32 percent believe the games will bring more benefits to the country than losses.
Rio de Janeiro, on Monday enters the one-month countdown to becoming the first South American city to host the Olympics.
With hotels mostly booked, landlords are charging a pretty penny for tourists still seeking accommodation in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics in August -- asking as much as $2,305 per night for a three-bedroom apartment far from venues and beaches.
Wendell Rodricks went the Brazilian route on the fifth and final day of Lakme Fashion Week with his Bossa Nova collection. In collaboration with retail giant Westside, he presented beachy, sensual resortwear for the coming summer season. Don't miss it!
The mascots for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be named 'Tom' and 'Vinicius' after the singer-songwriters who wrote 'The Girl from Ipanema', organisers said on Sunday.
Soccer player Alexandre Pato and actress Sthefany Brito smile after their wedding at Sao Francisco de Paulo church in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
Happy New Year! Stunning fireworks displays welcomed the New Year across the world. Take a look.
The good times are back, in a measured way, in fun spots across the globe.
Barely a week before the Rio Olympics opening ceremony, organisers are scrambling to put the final pieces in place.
Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt will come to India next week to play a cricket match against a team that includes World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh.
The Jamaican clocked 9.98 seconds into a slight breeze at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in front of a 20,000 crowd on a new track laid down the side of the infield.
Here's a glimpse of how the world welcomed 2016.
The metro line extension that will connect Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park in Barra de Tijuca with the rest of the city is at risk of not being finished before the Games start in August
Damp beach volleyball players and a bundled up crowd found out the hard way on Wednesday that grim rain and wind can even beat down on Rio's picture-perfect Copacabana beach.
Belgium's Greg van Avermaet snatched gold in a thrilling and incident-packed men's Olympic road race, out-sprinting Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang alongside the Copacabana beach after a spectacular day of racing along Rio's coastline on Saturday.
This week's collection of unbelievably unusual images from across the world
The drone photography community Dronestagram released a collection of their favourite drone photography of the year.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances