In reply to Sri Lanka's 411/9 declared, the Board President's XI were struggling at 31/2 after lunch on the second day, but Samson patiently built his innings and helped his side reach 287/5 when both captains agreed on a stalemate after 75 overs.
India dislodged arch-rivals Pakistan to claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings following their series-clinching comprehensive 178-run win over New Zealand in the second cricket Test in Kolkata on Monday.
Mumbai Indians became the first team to qualify for the final of the Indian Premier League with a comfortable 25-run win over Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede stadium.
The world's most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, will remain closed on Friday as the River Seine surged to its highest level for over 30 years in the French capital following torrential rainfall.
The UN will commemorate the inaugural International Yoga Day on June 21 with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The US State Department and other lobbies who denied Modi a visa when he was chief minister of Gujarat, says one organiser of the Madison Square Garden event, will get a clear idea of what kind of "force" is behind Modi in America. Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com meets the people behind the event in New York and finds out what's in store for Sunday's show.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
Thousands of people hailing 'Puratchi Thalaivi Amma' (Revolutionary Leader Amma) walked with the cortege.
United States President Barack Obama has hailed the "historic understanding" reached between world powers and Iran over the framework of a deal on its contentious nuclear programme, even as Israel warned that it would threaten the Jewish state's survival.
The three-year-old girl who had gone missing under mysterious circumstances last Sunday evening from India Gate was found a week later in West Delhi's Janakpuri area under equally dramatic sequence of events.
Fahaad Fasil tries too hard to prove a point with his acting.
Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten half-century to steer India to a six-wicket victory against Pakistan in the World Twenty20 in Kolkata, on Saturday. Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from the match.
On a day KKR star spinner Sunil Narine was expensive and returned wicket-less, the likes of Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav stepped up to restrict Rajasthan 144 for four after batsmen put on board 169 for seven.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was George Harrison's link into the Vedic world.
Xi-Kim meeting took place amid concern in Beijing that the North Korean leader is getting too close to US sidelining China pointing to its declining importance in the Korean Peninsula peace process.
The legend of Chris Gayle continued to grow in company of young KL Rahul as Kings XI Punjab outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in a rain-hit IPL encounter, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
'With Pakistan's 'first use doctrine' threatening the use of nuclear weapons early in a war with India, the S-400 will shield vulnerable targets like Delhi and Mumbai, complicating Pakistan's targeting calculations.'
Filing her nomination papers from East Delhi's Krishna Nagar, Bharatiya Janata Party chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Wednesday said that her responsibility has increased after being fielded from the party's "traditional" seat.
Cops say the organisers Sunburn did not complete the 'mandatory requirements and legal formalities'.
A summary of Ranji Trophy semi-finals played at Kolkata and Pune on Monday
Bengal would consider themselves lucky to survive as they reached 129 for no loss in their second innings after being asked to follow, still needing 75 runs to avoid the innings defeat.
'Her elevation in public life signified the end of parochial extremism and hate on a casteist basis.'
'The range of purchases throw a light on India's threat perception as also its perceived role of being a stabilising influence in the region,' says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
World number one Novak Djokovic produced sublime form to clinch an unprecedented fifth men's title at Indian Wells with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the men's final.
'Despite much hype of optimism, everyone went home empty-handed without a clear picture where they are heading in the future,' notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
We are a cricket loving country and there is so much to learn from the game about investing and financial planning.
'President Kalam would always say -- this was one of his pet sentences -- that "If you don't do anything, there will be no difficulties but if you do things, there will be difficulties. You have to overcome them. Don't be afraid of difficulties".'
Is it time to take a relook at our economic theories? asks Ajit Balakrishnan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will highlight the need to bring an end to open defecation during an event here in New York will be attended by over a dozen world leaders including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The New York Police Department is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
Rafael Nadal left German qualifier Yannick Maden no hope as he booked his ticket for the third round of the French Open in ruthless fashion with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
'I am actually quicker now than before,' Boxing legend Mary Kom tells Pavan Lall.
Through its programmes, Swechha tries to ensure Delhiites don't forget their dying river.
'I hope the prime minister starts telling those abusers to stop abusing... Because when he remains silent, these people get more muscle,' journalist Rajdeep Sardesai told Chaya Babu/Rediff.com soon after he was heckled and pushed around in New York on Sunday.
Veteran Wasim Jaffer became the first batsman to reach the landmark of 11,000 runs in Ranji Trophy during Day 2 of Nagpur's Group A match against Baroda on Wednesday.
'As a child I was very glad to be around him, to breathe his happiness.' 'I was aware that he would focus 100 per cent on whatever he was doing, whether it was playing with me, or going to the bullfights, or painting -- which he seemed to do non-stop,' Pablo's grandson tells Kishore Singh.
If the Congress lost in Tamil Nadu in 1967, never to return, or the DMK and the AIADMK have kept their place in power and electoral politics since then, it owes not to their love or hatred for gods or for one religion over another. Instead, they had always been linked to performance and incumbency/anti-incumbency factors. There may be something in such constructs for Rajini's strategic team to consider, especially if the superstar is to enter direct politics by around this time next year. But then, they would need to brush up their homework more than at present, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Joe Root plundered a superb century to defy Australia as England recovered from a poor start to post 343 for seven on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Wednesday.
Rajneesh Gupta's fascinating figures from the Kolkata Test.
