Mexico and Argentina's football associations have publicly backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, despite a significant backlash over his abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights to the World Cup, with other confederations and national bodies expressing strong opposition.
The Kerala Sports Department has submitted its confidential inquiry report regarding the controversy surrounding the proposed visit of football legend Lionel Messi and the Argentina team to the state during the previous government's tenure.
Bangladesh has requested India to create a "conducive environment" for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's potential visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit, linking it to their demand for the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. This comes amidst strained relations following Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi, which Bangladesh deemed offensive, and her subsequent death sentence in absentia for "crimes against humanity." India maintains that the extradition request is under examination and that it had no role in Hasina's media event.
New Delhi must look for formal, institutional statements issued directly from Washington rather than rely on casual pronouncements meant for local audiences, notes Ambassador Rajasekhar.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced official vehicles and a monthly allowance for MLAs to address public grievances and monitor government projects in their constituencies. This initiative aims to reduce financial burden, improve transparency, and ensure grassroots service delivery.
BJP MLA Sumitro Chatterjee, a descendant of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, has demanded an unconditional apology from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi. This demand follows an alleged incident at the AICC headquarters on Independence Day, where Chatterjee claims there were attempts to prevent the full singing of "Vande Mataram," which he described as a "shameless repetition of a historical mistake."
Umashankar Singh, the Bahujan Samaj Party's sole MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from the Rasra constituency, has passed away at the age of 55 after a prolonged illness. Political leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BSP president Mayawati, and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, have expressed their condolences.
Former Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and ex-trustee Anil Mishra, who had stepped down amid a temple donation theft controversy, are now actively holding meetings and interacting with seers in Ayodhya. This re-emergence coincides with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) sharing its final report on alleged irregularities in Ram temple donations with the Trust, sparking speculation about its findings.
East Bengal, fresh from their AFC Champions League Two qualifying play-off victory, are set to face a formidable Indian Army Football Team in the Durand Cup quarterfinals. The match, crucial for a spot in the semi-finals, will test East Bengal's momentum against the Army's disciplined play. Another quarterfinal features unbeaten SC Delhi against debutants FC Raengdai.
On World Photography Day, Arun Khanna pays tribute to this year's theme, Home, with a photo essay on Nature's master nest-maker -- the Baya Weaver Bird.
'A favourable base, last year's policy measures, the carryover impact of a good monsoon and improving earnings should all help.'
Shubham Juyal, a silver medallist in para-athletics at the Commonwealth Games, has called for Indians to extend their support to all sports, not just cricket. The Lance Naik in the Indian Army expressed pride in representing Roorkee and shared his aspirations to meet Rishabh Pant and win a medal at the LA 2028 Paralympics, crediting the Indian Army and his family for his success.
Ophthalmologist Dr Ravindra Mohan explains the potential risks of prolonged screen exposure and how excessive screen use in the dark can affect your eyes.
A diabetic can safely enjoy occasional sweets if their overall blood sugar control is good and the portion is small, advises rediffGURU Komal Jethmalani, a nutritionist with nearly three decades of experience.
Celebrations marking India's 80th Independence Day in the New York tri-state area culminated in a world record, with more than 1,300 US flags surrounded by Indian tricolours arranged to form the number "250", in a tribute to America's semiquincentennial anniversary.
The Lok Sabha passed two Bills, including one to rename Kerala as Keralam, without debate as Opposition members continued their protests, demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence to address police excesses against student protesters and alleged Ram temple fund irregularities.
Air India Group has accumulated losses of about Rs 47,821 crore since its takeover, leaving its prolonged transformation among the biggest unfinished projects of N Chandrasekaran's tenure.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down from her role at the end of the month to prioritise her young children and family.
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council has voiced strong opposition to any directive making the singing of 'Vande Mataram' compulsory, especially for Christians. They argue that patriotism should not be reduced to forced conformity and that India's constitutional values of liberty, pluralism, and freedom of conscience must be respected. The council also called for dialogue and sensitivity from state institutions.
Rishabh Pant's dismissal for 39 against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle has once again brought his shot selection under intense scrutiny, with fans and former cricketers criticising his inability to convert starts into bigger scores.
rediffGURU Ravi Mittal shares a list of dos and don'ts to stay safe while using online matrimony platforms.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is reviewing its internal processes and protocols following lapses in three papers of the UGC-NET June 2026 examination, leading to re-tests for English, Commerce, and Sociology. The agency stated it proactively identified issues and is taking corrective measures to ensure fair and error-free examinations, amidst strong criticism from opposition leaders.
Journalist Kuldip Nayar's autobiography recounts Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah's despairing remark, "What have I done?", after witnessing the mass displacement during the 1947 Partition. The article also details Nayar's own grim experiences of the communal violence and human tragedy at the time, highlighting the immense upheaval that accompanied the division of the subcontinent, now commemorated as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin discusses fellow world champion D Gukesh's recent performance slump, attributing it to a lack of confidence rather than a decline in skill. Sarin expresses hope that the upcoming Chess Olympiad will help Gukesh regain his form. He also shares his views on the increasing role of AI in chess, the evolution towards faster formats, and potential improvements in the chess ecosystem.
Cristiano Ronaldo offered a heartfelt message of support to Lionel Messi following the death of Messi's father, Jorge Messi. Despite their long-standing on-field rivalry, Ronaldo's gesture highlighted the mutual respect between the two football legends during a difficult time for Messi, who had expressed profound grief over his father's passing.
Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed outrage over deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's media interaction in New Delhi, saying the event has hurt the sentiments of its people and could adversely affect efforts to improve bilateral ties with India.
The Delhi Police has strongly defended its use of force during the 'Chalo Sansad' protest on July 20, telling the Supreme Court that the agitation was 'hijacked by anti-social elements and history-sheeters,' leading to law and order breakdown and over 240 police personnel injuries.
The Akali Dal Waris Punjab De has announced Satwant Singh, son of Kehar Singh (convicted in Indira Gandhi's assassination conspiracy), as its candidate for the Bassi Pathana constituency in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. This move highlights the party's 'Panthic' principles and focus on families who sacrificed for the Sikh Panth.
This week's OTT releases feature a diverse range of films and series, including the spiritual sequel 'Cocktail 2' starring Shahid Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, and Kriti Sanon, Kangana Ranaut's 'Bharat Bhagya Vidhata' based on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and the RSS-themed drama 'Aakhri Sawwal'.
Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and CEO P N Vasudevan stated, "We may end up applying within a year" for a universal banking licence, while also targeting a nearly threefold increase in advances to Rs 1.2 trillion over the next five years.
India played an impressive opening match at the Women's Hockey World Cup, securing a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China, with goals from Navneet Kaur and Deepika.
Women's sports garnered 28.6 billion minutes of views in the U.S. in the first half of 2026, an 18% increase year-over-year, with advertising spend up 120% since 2022, according to a Nielsen report.
After nearly 19 years, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata, calling it a deeply emotional homecoming.
Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-3 to win her first title of the season at the Canadian Open. The victory provides a significant confidence boost for Swiatek ahead of the US Open.
Convicting journalist Tarun Tejpal in a 2013 rape case, the Bombay high court on Thursday termed the trial court's verdict of acquittal as "perverse", and slammed it for falling prey to the notion that a complainant in such cases should be a "perfect victim" and behave in a certain way.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal underwent a 90-minute surgery for a 'kirpan' attack injury sustained inside a gurdwara in Nanded and is now stable, with doctors repairing a tendon and ulnar artery nerve.
In her latest advisory, rediffGURU Anu Krishna, a mind coach and co-founder of Unfear Changemakers counsels how to control and respond without compromising one's dignity or mental well-being.
England captain Joe Root has announced there will be no team curfew for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, expressing trust in his players to act responsibly. This decision comes amidst recent scrutiny over the team's culture following several off-field incidents and player suspensions. Root, who returned to captaincy after Ben Stokes' retirement, believes players should be self-policing.
Combine a robust base health plan with a super top-up, critical illness cover and a dedicated medical corpus to protect household finances from soaring treatment costs.
Three mute sisters from Dhadkai, known as India's 'Silent Village', refused to eat until their father provided fabric for them to stitch tricolours, which they then distributed to over 150 homes, bringing the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign to their remote Jammu and Kashmir village.
