A sharp political slugfest erupted on Thursday as Congress leaders and INDIA bloc allies rallied behind MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's son, Raihan Vadra, accusing the authorities and Centre of censoring artistic expression after Bikaner House requested the removal of several photographs from his exhibition.
Sanju Samson continued his superb form with the bat, smashing a blistering 67 off 33 balls to power India to their highest chase in T20 cricket, overcoming a mid-innings stumble for a four-wicket win in the series-opener against New Zealand.
Hyderabad police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly extorting over Rs 25 lakh from numerous individuals. The accused created fake female profiles on social media, lured victims into sharing private photos and videos, and then threatened them with legal action to extract money. Victims spanned across several Indian states and even internationally.
'You don't have to speak perfect English to communicate confidently,' says rediffGURU Archana Deshpande, a life coach and founder of TransformMe Life Skils Coaching.
Indian opener Shafali Verma, after her aggressive fifty against Zimbabwe, revealed she studied Australian batters to improve her consistency. Her 25-ball 55 helped India secure a series-clinching nine-wicket win in the second T20I. Skipper Smriti Mandhana praised Shafali's performance and the team's improved bowling effort, while Zimbabwe's captain Josephine Nkomo acknowledged learning from India's batting masterclass.
Assam's Juvenile Justice Board has ruled that a 17-year-old boy, accused in the alleged rape and murder of a girl in Hailakandi district, will be tried as an adult. The decision was based on the heinous nature of the crime, psychological assessments, and other reports. The incident, which occurred on August 1, led to widespread protests and a chargesheet was filed against five accused, including the juvenile.
Thulasimathi Murugesan and Nitesh Kumar secured a spot in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final at the Asian Para Games after defeating China's Li Mingpan and Xiao Zuxian.
'If you look back at my interviews, I talk about love almost with a sense of disrespect and disbelief, like 'I don't believe in this concept', which was immature of me because I've been blessed with so much beautiful love.'
Australia 'A' batter Nathan McSweeney attributed his success in the recent one-day series against India A to studying Virat Kohli's technique against spinners on YouTube. McSweeney was named player of the series after scoring 194 runs, helping Australia A win the series 2-1. He highlighted the importance of adapting to Indian conditions and executing strategies learned from top players.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina rallied from a set down to defeat Rafael Jodar in three sets, capture his biggest career title at Shanghai and secure a projected career-high ranking.
Spain's Eugenio Chacarra holds a one-shot lead at the DP World India Championship after the second round, with six Indian golfers successfully making the cut. Om Prakash Chouhan is the best-placed Indian, while Yuvraj Sandhu made a remarkable comeback. Several major champions also qualified, but some prominent Indian names missed the cut, leaving a tightly packed leaderboard.
This week's OTT releases offer a diverse selection across various streaming platforms.
Avinash Arun's Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam emerges as a rare honest film in contemporary Bollywood, skillfully navigating the sensitive narrative of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab without succumbing to propaganda, observes Prasanna D Zore.
What starts off as a promise of an entertaining fantasy adventure turns into a parade of incredibly generic and full of clichs action slop, complains Mayur Sanap.
As the cycle enters a crucial phase, the teams now look to strengthen their case for a top-two finish.
A 20-year-old youth, Soumya Ranjan Rath, who was out on bail after a previous fatal car incident, hit four people with his vehicle on Monday in Bhubaneswar after a dispute at an eatery. Police confirmed he was under the influence of alcohol and has been arrested, with actions planned to cancel his bail and driving license.
West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein acknowledges India as a "very dangerous" side ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series. He discusses the challenges of bowling in the powerplay against India's strong batting lineup and emphasizes the importance of planning, execution, and sticking to effective strategies, aided by data. Hosein asserts that the West Indies team is ready for the challenge and will not back down.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has ignited a controversy by suggesting India should learn from Albanian protesters who allegedly burnt down their Supreme Court due to its perceived support for a corrupt prime minister. Raut shared a video of the purported events, drawing sharp criticism from Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam, who highlighted Raut's recent apology to the Supreme Court.
Delhi Police arrested two men, including an alleged member of the Tillu Tajpuriya gang, for allegedly plotting a gang-related murder in Delhi's Holambi area. Police recovered two pistols and five live cartridges from the accused, who were reportedly planning to target a rival gang member.
The Cockroach Janta Party has pledged to continue its protests, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and the rollback of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced significant changes to its T20 leadership, dropping Salman Ali Agha as captain and appointing Sahibzada Farhan. The board also named squads for upcoming T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka and England, with Shaheen Shah Afridi retaining ODI captaincy.
Pacer Keemo Paul discusses how West Indies bowlers effectively used slow balls on a gripping pitch and the absence of dew to secure a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. He also highlighted captain Shai Hope's crucial century and strong team planning as key factors in their success.
rediffGURU Dr Nagarajan JSK, a career counsellor with nearly 34 years of experience in teaching, research and career guidance, explains the benefits of pursuing higher education in India.
A Thailand national woman was arrested in Gurugram with approximately 14 grams of MDMA during a raid by the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau. Investigators are probing her alleged visa overstay and potential links to a wider drug distribution network, with a case registered under the NDPS Act.
India's T20 captain Shreyas Iyer stated that young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cannot immediately join the playing XI due to the consistent performance of current openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who were instrumental in India's T20I World Cup win.
'What is the need for collecting so much data unless they are going to be used for some other purpose?'
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, despite an unexpected early exit from the individual compound event at the Asian Games, led India to a women's team gold. She reflected on the overall successful archery campaign, which saw India top the medal standings with nine medals, including a historic individual recurve gold. Neeraj Chauhan also secured a bronze in men's individual recurve.
The Delhi High Court has refused to interfere with the judicial custody of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were detained for protesting at a de-notified site and allegedly violating a 'peace' bond.
A Delhi court has acquitted five men accused of rioting and attempted murder during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The court criticised the investigating agency for trying to "fill the lacuna" in the case and failing to establish the accused's presence at the crime scene, citing weak evidence from CCTV footage and lack of identification by witnesses.
A prayer meet was held in Mumbai to honour Nana Patekar, with Rohini Hattangadi, Shivaji Satam and Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe attending to pay their respects.
Nayyi Navelli is a chaotic and forgettable cinematic experience, struggling to blend mythological, horror, and social commentary into a cohesive narrative, observes Sukanya Verma.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on a three-day visit to India to discuss bilateral ties in energy, trade, investment, defence, and critical technologies, as well as the West Asia crisis. His visit aims to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership amidst existing friction, with a focus on finalising a proposed bilateral trade deal.
Investors who bought attractively valued IPOs and held on have earned strong returns, particularly when the money raised went into companies rather than into the pockets of exiting shareholders.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza has confirmed his decision to retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup, stating that his country's potential entry into the World Test Championship (WTC) for the 2027-30 cycle will not alter his plans. He believes WTC entry will significantly boost Zimbabwe's cricketing growth and also discussed the challenges of home advantage for the 2027 World Cup and highlighted promising young talents.
For nearly three decades, the two sides of the story had existed independently. One had been recorded in a pilot's logbook; the other carried in the memory of a young boy who had survived a terrible accident, recalls Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
PGTI president Kapil Dev has called on authorities to facilitate fan access to the D P World India Championship amidst ongoing protests in Delhi. He also urged Gen Z to listen to others while acknowledging their intelligence, and advocated for shorter golf formats and improved infrastructure to boost the sport's popularity in India.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy expressed immense satisfaction with his team's performance against India, stating that the 'swagger is back' after they held the T20 World Cup champions to a 2-2 series draw. He highlighted the team's renewed confidence and willingness to win as key factors.
From playing the quietly determined Lata Mehra in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy to stepping into the supernatural world of Tooth Pari: When Love Bites, Tanya Maniktala has built a career around characters that are anything but alike.
JD(U) MLA Anant Kumar Singh clarified his controversial "nine murders for Nitish Kumar" remark, stating it was misunderstood. He claimed he was referring to family members murdered due to his proximity to Nitish Kumar during RJD rule, not that he committed murders. The Mokama legislator, currently upset with JD(U) over legislative council polls, had previously made the statement causing a political stir.
Isha Ambani, a director on the board of Jio Platforms, revealed that a failed attempt to upload a college assignment in 2009-10 due to poor internet connectivity in Mumbai sparked the idea and subsequent conversations that led to the creation of Jio.
