On Saturday in Washington, DC -- where for more than 30 years he represented the state of Arizona and earned a reputation in Congress as a "maverick" -- late United States Senator John McCain was honoured by friends, loved ones, and even onetime political rivals. Former US presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush, both of whom McCain had challenged in their races to win the nation's highest office, delivered eulogies during the service at Washington National Cathedral. In doing so, they underscored the respect McCain commanded throughout his life for his service and bravery, from his years as a Vietnam War prisoner of war to his last days battling brain cancer. Here, touching photos from the service, part of a five-day series of memorial events before McCain's body is laid to rest on Sunday at the US Naval Academy Cemetery.
Opposition leaders and activists hit out at the Centre after the death of Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy on Monday, saying it should be held accountable for the "ruthless" and "inhuman treatment" meted out to the 84-year-old who was suffering from multiple ailments and awaiting bail on medical grounds.
The state funeral on Monday will take the form of an elaborate ceremony that will see Her Majesty's coffin transported from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey and finally to Windsor Castle.
The US "Indo-Pacific Strategy" is bound to be a failed strategy, Wang said in the comments posted by the Chinese foreign ministry on its website.
By ending the Shiv Sena's political untouchability, the Congress is creating a level playing ground for itself in the political battle of Hindu identity, explains Sheela Bhatt.
Here are a few interesting facts about the 152-year-old cemetery in whose 624 acres the dead of the nation's conflicts are buried.
'Political parties have appropriated our military victories -- the Kargil war is the BJP's and the Bangladesh war is the Congress's -- what is going on?' As Uttarakhand -- where faujis number nearly 40% of the state's population -- prepares to vote, Rediff.com's Archana Masih discovers what upsets retired soldiers in Uttarakhand the most is a forgotten protest in the heart of Delhi.
'My relationship with the Pataudi family was to help me to survive in 1971.'
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said that China's ambitions and aspirations to global power presented an 'omnipresent danger' to stability in South Asia.
President Pranab Mukherjee, along with the Defence Chiefs and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were also present to pay homage on the 50th anniversary for the brave who sacrificed their all for the greater good.
Three Indian Air Force officers captured as Prisoners of War by Pakistan during the '71 War made a daring escape from a Rawalpindi jail. M P Anil Kumar recounts that heroic story.
Amidst the ongoing hostilities with Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Modi government will not allow anyone to dent India's honour and every citizen has faith in the country's armed forces.
Given that public memory is short, we felt it was the right time to go back a little in history and test your memory about who said what and when about China with a little quiz. Enjoy!
Budget 2014 is a strong first step to slowly re-architecting and reviving our economy and transform India, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
In India, the anniversary of 26/11 comes and goes with only the bare minimum of remembrance. We don't even bother very much about honouring those who acted with great bravery that day, rues Vir Sanghvi.
Japan today imports 500,000 tons of coffee annually. Barely 60 years earlier, it was a market that hardly sold a cup! Ad guru Sandeep Goyal reveals how Nestle won the Coffee versus Tea Battle.
Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, who commands the 'Fire and Fury' 14 Corps, has the experience and talent to face down the Chinese challenge. The general is a rare combination of thinker and tough-minded doer, observes David Devadas.
'Our civil society here is vibrant, and courageous, although it is beaten up and beaten down, repeatedly.'
Swamy's counsel said there was negligence on part of the Taloja prison authorities, who failed to provide immediate medical attention to the Jesuit priest.
The two leaders discussed the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from the conflict areas.
She has been in custody as an undertrial since her arrest in 2018.
The order comes in the wake of rioters defacing and destroying historical sites, monuments and statues in the country as violence erupted following the brutal custodial death of African-American George Floyd on May 25.
Modi's absence from an event to mark the centenary of a definitive moment in Indian history puzzles Utkarsh Mishra.
In super-human acts of valour, Havildar Abdul Hamid personally knocked out five tanks over two days, effectively derailing the enemy offensive in the 1965 Indo-Pak War. 'Decades later, I realised not only how much the nation owed to this great son of India but also that my entire family was probably alive thanks to him,' says Vijay Dandapani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked France and wrapped up his first visit to Paris that saw the two nations elevate their strategic ties to a new level as they agreed on a deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets and decided to move ahead with the log-jammed Jaitapur nuclear project.
The two leaders, dressed in dark suits and ties, presented wreaths and bowed their heads in silent respect during a brief tour of the USS Arizona Memorial that commemorates the US sailors and Marines who perished on the battleship on December 7, 1941.
'If you behave like a nail, the adversary will behave like a hammer.'
'A one-party State is not possible in a diverse country like India.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said for the first time in 30 years that a government has acted against army men responsible for killing two innocent teenagers in Budgam recently.
The disclosure of files provided by India's second army chief General Sir Roy Bucher to Nehru Memorial Museum and Library about Jammu and Kashmir related to the period of 1947-49, which may throw light on Accession, is in 'national interest,' the central information commission has observed in an order.
Harris cited the accomplishments of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, who "saw a better future and built it with land grant colleges, and the transcontinental railroad."
'The death certificate which I once read even states the date, 6 August, but I know that already.' 'Every year, we observe paath at the local gurdwara for which we need to take leave from school. The leave form always says 'attending father's death anniversary'. 'I always dread this day -- the long walk from my desk to the teacher's table with my diary in hand and in it a handwritten note dripped with sadness despite its curt language.' 'What generally follows is pity on my teacher's face, a deep sigh of sympathy and a sad pat on the back.' A moving excerpt from Gurmehar Kaur's memoir Small Acts Of Freedom.
China's national health commission said 39,452 new cases were reported on Monday, including 36,304 local asymptomatic cases, as authorities scrambled to contain the fresh surge in infections.
What distinguishes 26/11 from other bombings in big cities, for instance 9/11 in New York or 7/7 in London, is that it remains the best-documented attack in a digitally enhanced world, says Sunil Sethi
Playing the great general will be a challenge for the talented actor.
'Fearlessness, courtesy, humour, wide interests and wisdom, deep commitment to science and technology, passion for the environment, objectivity and the ability to see many things through not only a national but also an international prism.'
'Absolute non-violence is not only sinful, but immoral.' 'This doctrine of non-violence benumbed the revolutionary fervor, softened the limbs and hearts of the Hindus, and stiffened the bones of enemies.' A revealing excerpt from Vikram Sampath's Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966.
The President later wrote in the Visitors' Book that "the National Martyrs memorial symbolises Bangladesh's struggle for justice, emancipation and independence. It reminds us of the valiant sacrifices made by innumerable men, women and children who fought for their homeland -- Sonar Bangla. I pay my deep respect and homage to all those martyrs."
India on Friday summoned a senior diplomat of the Pakistani high commission on the 13th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and pressed for an expeditious trial in the case, saying the families of 166 victims from 15 countries are still awaiting closure.
The concluding part of the A to Z guide to a year that will soon become history.
