The year is coming to an end and overall, it's been one hell of a year! We have had our share of ups and downs and we look forward to a better 2020. While we count down the days to the new year, let's also reflect on those who gave us strength to stand up in what we believe, the courageous who didn't bow down and the ones with gumption who inspired us to be better. We, Rediff.com, have selected 26 personalities, who we think are worthy of the title -- HERO OF THE YEAR -- and we want you, dear readers, to choose your hero!
Summary of the South American World Cup qualifiers played on Thursday
The Supreme Court on Thursday took note of a plea of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) seeking urgent appointment of an ombudsman in the Board of Control for Cricket in India to decide on the fate of Team India players Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul.
The multinational search for the Malaysian jet's debris was today suspended due to bad weather in southern Indian Ocean, a day after it was announced that the missing plane had crashed in the remote area.
'You can still acquire the COVID-19 virus even if you are vaccinated.' 'But if you develop the disease, (after being vaccinated) the likelihood is that it will be mild.' 'It just makes sense to continue to take precautions, because you may be around a lot of unvaccinated people.'
'I try to say to myself, 'Don't cry in front of people'. But sometimes I can't help it.'
Air passengers in the Asia Pacific region continue to reap the benefits of the fare war unleashed by the world's leading airlines despite mounting cost of the aviation turbine fuel.
The airline's chief financial officer Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan will be acting as the CEO.
Instead of failing young Indians, the government should now focus laser-like on education, skilling, healthcare, and the environment, says Mihir S Sharma.
With the year sprinting to a close, we bring you, in pictures, some of the best action from the sports world.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
It was also decided that no legal recourse will be taken against the International Cricket Council as per the diktat of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.
The 37-year-old former actress revealed that her "something blue", worn by brides as a lucky charm on their wedding day, was a piece of a blue dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry stitched discreetly inside her white wedding gown.
'The biggest motivation is being a part of the Indian cricket team.'
Bidding farewell to 2014 revellers around the world are welcoming 2015 with celebrations featuring fireworks, music, and dancing.
The 14 grounds that will host matches during the February 14 - March 29 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Images from Sunday, Day 4 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Pune.
Leander Paes' hopes of creating a world record in Davis Cup were dashed when the veteran Indian and Vishnu Vardhan lost the third rubber to strong rivals Artem Sitak and Michael Venus, who kept the New Zealand alive in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie.
A clash of contrasting styles, the ICC World T20 final in Kolkata on Sunday gives both England and the West Indies a chance to create history.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the finest bowling heroics in the 20th over in recent T20Is.
The search for the crashed Malaysian jetliner continued on Saturday with fresh objects spotted by planes scouring a new area of the southern Indian Ocean.
We sorted through countless photographs taken around the world to come up with the top photos of 2019. Together these images tell the story of the year -- capturing moments of hope and heartbreak, triumph and tragedy.
'A man who is sometimes loved and loathed in equal measure, a man we're seemingly tired of seeing yet can't imagine life without.' Dhruv Munjal salutes the incomparable M S Dhoni.
Multinational search teams were racing against time to locate the black box of the crashed airliner, as Malaysia revised the account of the critical final communication received from the jet.
A Thai satellite has spotted hundreds of floating objects in southern Indian Ocean that could possibly be the debris of the crashed Malaysian plane, even as bad weather on Thursday grounded multination aerial search for the aircraft's wreckage.
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
White needed a big performance to overhaul Japan's Ayumu Hirano and duly delivered with a spectacular display to earn a score of 97.75. His victory means the United States have won all four snowboarding golds awarded at the Games.
Forgot the major events that shaped the news last week? Here's a quick recap of the incidents of the previous week.
'Even as discord over US-India trade and commerce colours diplomatic relations, defence relations between the two countries remain on a firm footing,' points out Ajai Shukla.
The Essel Group on Monday rebutted news reports that it is setting up parallel cricket boards across different countries in collaboration with Ten Sports Network but said it is now geared up to enter the sports business at a global level, focusing on cricket.
Major Suman Gawani, who served as a UN Peacekeeper in South Sudan, is the first Indian to receive the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. 'On seeing the Indian flag on my uniform,' she says,' the locals would get very excited and say, 'Hindi, Hindi'.'
He is the 14th player in history and only the second Indian to reach the milestone.
Bangladesh's first World Cup centurion Mahmudullah is hoping to extend his big scoring spree at the World Cup when he faces off against India.
India will issue multi-city short-term visas to Pakistani cricket fans willing to watch their team play during the forthcoming World Twenty20 tournament, including a high-voltage rescheduled match against the hosts in Kolkata.
These images will make you weep with pride.
Don't have money to spare for classes? Learn an asana or two from our good ol' Hindi films.
From the Syrian civil war to the Ukrainian crisis to the terror unleashed by the dreaded Islamic State, there was no lack of news in 2014. Rediff.com presents a selection of the year's most enduring moments year from around the world.
Airlines tell Arindam Majumder and Aneesh Phadnis they are forced to look at expats due to a lack of commanders, a position that requires experience.
