Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday called on President Droupadi Murmu separately within hours at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
'One Chinese interlocutor said India should realise that "China can do without India, but India could not do without China", pointing to its inability to do without Chinese intermediates and components,' former foreign secretary Shyam Saran discovers on a visit to China.
'Putin will not be bound by any kind of deal he would sign with the US.'
India would neither succumb to the Americans on issues of national security, such as its defence ties with Russia, nor cede ground on its domestic interests in the agriculture and dairy sectors.
'If Washington has to balance Chinese power, she will have to turn to the third biggest power in the world which is India.' 'The United States and India will have to work together in order to keep Chinese ambitions in check.'
The death of the jailed Russian-opposition leader, 47, has been reported by state media which further cited the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region where he had been serving his sentence.
'Modi's charisma may have weakened as last year's Lok Sabha poll results showed but in the eyes of the Sangh Parivar, it has not waned.' 'Minus a strong BJP government at the Centre for another decade and more, there is apprehension that an anti-Hindutva government could reverse many of the ideological gains that the Modi dispensation has achieved through its three terms,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died mysteriously in prison on Friday, February 16. 2024, has accused President Vladimir Putin of killing her husband and pledged to continue his struggle for a 'free Russia'.
United States President Joe Biden said that he is 'outraged' by the reported death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Holders Paris St Germain cruised to a 3-0 victory over Stade de Reims in the Coupe de France final on Saturday, claiming a third domestic trophy for the second successive season, and preparing for next week's Champions League final in style.
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The situation in Syria remains a focal point for all the neighbouring nations after Syrian rebels on Sunday entered the capital Damascus, forcing Assad to flee, ending his over two-decade rule in the country.
Navalnaya posted a picture of herself enjoying a moment with Navalny, two days after his death.
On August 16, 1980, the Kolkata football derby between arch rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, played at the Eden Gardens (there was no Salt Lake Stadium then) witnessed a massive clash between the supporters of two teams, leading to 16 deaths.
Tributes pour in for Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died mysteriously in a Russian prison on Friday.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has conceded that he was wrong in opposing India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that the country's current position allows it to play a significant role in achieving lasting peace. Tharoor, who had initially criticized India's neutrality, now acknowledges that the policy has positioned India as a mediator, capable of engaging with both Russia and Ukraine.
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev for the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 in which 38 passengers were killed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, Euro News reported.
The attacks against the Pakistani air force have taken them at least five years back and caused great damage to them and their Chinese and Turkish inventory of weapons.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek crushed Dayana Yastremska 6-0, 6-2 and 2023 champion Elena Rybakina powered past Britain's Katie Boulter 6-0, 7-5 to reach the fourth round of Indian Wells on Sunday in displays of dominance.
rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan recommends exercises to recover from pain, injuries and improve overall health.
Russian Daria Kasatkina said she left the French Open with a bitter taste in her mouth after being booed off by the crowd.
'If we truly wish to understand and apply Marx's insights today, we must reject the rigid dogmas that later 'Marxists' imposed in his name.'
Twice champion Iga Swiatek walloped Czech Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals on Tuesday.
What despots and dictators, jammers and competitors, had not managed to do in 83 years -- what the Soviet Union had failed to counter during the Cold War; what China had failed to crush during the Tiananmen Square uprising -- a US President had succeeded with his own hand, notes Krishna Prasad.
... and there is no stopping its pan-Islamic agenda, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
World Champion D Gukesh has taken the joint lead at the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament after defeating his fellow Indian, P Harikrishna.
On February 16, 2024, the death of the jailed Russian-Opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, 47, was reported by State media which further cited the prison service of the Yamalo-Nenets region where he had been serving his sentence.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi opened his campaign with four victories and a solitary defeat in the World Rapid Chess Championship and was tied fifth, even as defending champion Magnus Carlsen endured a frustrating day, managing to log just one victory in New York.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa defeated compatriot Pentala Harikrishna, while Arjun Erigaisi settled for a draw in the second round of 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament.
'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
The BJP accused Congress leaders of colluding with foreign forces to destabilize India and demanded Sonia Gandhi to disclose her role in a George Soros Foundation-funded organization's activities. The ruling party also attacked Rahul Gandhi, calling him a "pawn" for his protests against the Adani issue.
In what could be a lesson learnt from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war where anti-tank missiles have played a big role, the Indian Air Force is arming its Russian-origin helicopters with the Israeli 'Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) ATGMs' which can hit ground targets from distances up to 30 km.
'We call on you, Mr President, to ensure that Alexey Navalny is immediately given the medical treatment and care that he urgently requires.'
"The Modi government's approach to the entire crisis could be described as DDLJ: Deny, Distract, Lie and Justify," Ramesh said.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite 2024 films that he watched at film festivals held in Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and India.
'All the big things happening today in economic development have their beginning in Dr Manmohan Singh's ideas.'
He bagged the Menorca Open crown in April, finished second in TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament in May and also finished joint-fifth in the Sharjah Masters Open tournament.
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