Neeru Dhanda has taken the sole lead in the women's trap qualification at the Asian Games, positioning herself for a historic individual gold. Fresh from a World Cup win, Dhanda maintained strong consistency. In the men's trap, Shapath Bharadwaj made a significant recovery to move into joint fifth place, keeping India's medal hopes alive in both individual and team events.
Indian liquor brands are increasingly focusing on Hindi heartland states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana as the next major growth engine for premiumisation, driven by expanding luxury portfolios, craft spirit launches, and upgraded retail experiences, as state governments embrace reforms.
President Droupadi Murmu has announced a major gubernatorial reshuffle, appointing new governors for Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Sikkim, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Odisha. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar moves from Keralam to Tamil Nadu, while Om Prakash Mathur becomes the new Keralam Governor. Dushyant Gautam, Sudha Yadav, Dhal Singh Bisen, and Braj Mohan Ram are among the new appointees, bringing diverse political experience to their roles.
Navigating this geopolitical minefield requires a cold-blooded blend of immediate tactical pleading, structural domestic diversification, and aggressive collective resistance, suggests Ambassador Rajasekhar.
India is set to begin its Asian Games shooting campaign in Nagoya with a formidable 30-member squad, featuring Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and other world-class performers. The team aims to build on its previous success, with strong prospects in rifle, pistol, and shotgun events, facing a significant challenge from China.
"Her heroism lies in finding her own voice and finally choosing to stand up for herself," said Nimisha Sajayan, discussing her role as Babita in 'Babita Singh Reporting'.
From Kareena Kapoor Khan's 'cop who wears lipstick' in Daayra to Rani Mukerji's relentless Shivani Shivaji Rao in the Mardaani series, Bollywood has seen a rise in powerful and nuanced portrayals of female police officers tackling brutal crimes and societal challenges.
Discover the latest star-studded OTT releases this week, featuring Akshay Kumar's Welcome to the Jungle, Vijay's Jana Nayagan, and a diverse selection of regional and international films and series across major streaming platforms.
Cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is a strategic move by Olympic leaders to tap into India's massive fan base and commercial power, aiming to attract billions of new viewers and strengthen the Games' appeal in key markets.
India's men's hockey team has experienced a varied journey in the World Cup, from winning bronze in 1971 and gold in 1975 to a prolonged period without a podium finish.
If Iran and Oman choose to charge a fee for rendering services to vessels using their territorial waters, so be it. The US is indulging in an irrationally self-destructive act, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India's armed forces, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, extensively participated in yoga sessions across the country to commemorate International Day of Yoga. From high-altitude regions to parade grounds, thousands of personnel, their families, and cadets engaged in various asanas, highlighting yoga's role in promoting physical fitness, mental resilience, and holistic well-being.
Bihar's greatest resource is not beneath its soil but above it -- its people. With a population approaching 140 million and one of India's youngest demographic profiles, Bihar possesses an asset many societies would envy, explains Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
Sacred spots and soaring peaks: Bucket-listing across the heartland. Roopa Unnikrishnan and her father journey through the heart of India.
'...especially pressure on the rupee, the current account deficit, and foreign exchange outflows.' 'The key question over the next several months is whether the government can prevent external turbulence from feeding into domestic economic pessimism.'
'We want to become India's topmost integrated studio, working in different languages.'
'Sometimes it can get a little difficult to assert yourself, whether it's an opinion or your presence. It gets really exhausting.' 'They're still not able to accept that an intelligent woman can also really love wearing red lipstick!'
'All this talk about women's reservation and Nari Shakti is a mirage.' 'It is a classic Trojan horse to bring about an alteration in the structure of political competition -- to the enduring advantage of the BJP.'
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
In West Bengal's assembly elections, fish has become a potent symbol of Bengali identity, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP clashing over food habits and cultural representation.
'The BJP is keeping its options open and that the final decision is still tightly held.' 'That is consistent with the party's tendency to preserve suspense, avoid premature factional conflict, and use leadership selection as a way of resetting internal hierarchies.'
From India's entry to the Oscars to the foodie flamboyance of Bollywood's first family to Srikant Tiwari's hope for a hat-trick and Korean entertainment in deeply dark mode, it's raining OTT goodies this week.
"It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy. This would require fundamental reforms, from imposing legally mandated term limits to requiring meaningful internal party elections, together with a concerted effort to educate and empower the electorate to choose leaders based on merit," Tharoor said.
What he carried, straight from the heartland of India, was the refreshing smell of mitti (soil) that permeated every word he wrote, recalls Jasmeet Singh Gandhi.
'If the BJP had contested all 227 seats, I believe they would have managed to secure a majority on their own.'
Non-metro cities drove this year's online Diwali shopping boom, accounting for nearly three-quarters of total e-commerce volume, with tier 3 cities contributing over 50 per cent, according to industry data. As per the industry data analysis of over 4.25 crore shipments by logistics intelligence platform ClickPost, these regions now represent the fastest and largest drivers of festive e-commerce, solidifying non-metro India's role as the epicentre of order volumes and growth.
Amid the political push and pull, the Centre's decision to allow sugar exports and remove the 50 per cent duty on molasses exports has rekindled hope in the industry that more relief may follow.
'Nitish Kumar previously held tight control over key ministries, but this concession (giving the home portfolio to the BJP) reflects either his weakened political position or a pragmatic acknowledgment of the BJP's growing dominance.'
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi asserted that Operation Sindoor was unlike any conventional mission and that it was akin to playing a game of chess as 'we did not know' what would be the enemy's next move.
'Bihar's voters' electoral memory is long, and their evaluations are relational; who came to the village, who followed up, who resolved a problem.'
'...the electoral playing field is tilted significantly in its favour.'
In Professor Sulochana Gadgil's passing, India has lost a scientific giant, a fierce intellect, and a compassionate soul, remembers Dr Madhavan Nair Rajeevan.
'It's rare for an actor to find something new to break an image.'
'These Marathas are farmers and they only do farming. They have no other business other than farming. Now, they want reservations because farming is no longer a profitable business.'In this interview, veteran farmers' rights advocate and founding member of the Shetkari Sanghatna, Vijay Jawandhia, with Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff unpacks the historical and structural roots of the agitation.
The era where nations thrived through rigid alignments is giving way to an age where the connective State defines power. For India, that era has arrived, points out Dr Nishakant Ojha.
US Senator Mark Warner, co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, while lauding the burgeoning Indian investment in the US, has urged Indian companies to also explore making such investments in the American heartland instead of the traditional areas in order to change misperceptions on globalisation.
'China reduced its exports of urea to India gradually.' 'In 2020-2021 we imported 28 lakh tonnes of urea which reduced to 16 lakh tonnes in 2022-2023 and that has now reduced to 1 lakh tonnes in 2024-2025.'
The message from Sunday's event will undoubtedly reverberate globally. It's a landmark occasion that will be remembered for generations and will inspire many other states to introduce the story of Rajendra Chola into school curricula, says Tarun Vijay.
'India for its survival has to change its doctrine from no first use to a pre-emptive attack in case of any hostile move by Pakistan,' recommends Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
