When I planned my 27th birthday trip to Kerala, I had a very clear vision in mind. There would be beaches. There would be the backwaters. There would be long boat rides, cute cafs and perhaps a fancy dinner overlooking the water. What I did not anticipate was celebrating my birthday with Lionel Messi.
Tennis legend Serena Williams' highly anticipated return to competitive action at Wimbledon after a four-year hiatus concluded with a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat to Australian qualifier Maya Joint in the first round. Despite flashes of brilliance and fighting back from a match point, Williams was unable to overcome the 20-year-old, who secured the most significant victory of her career.
Ten-man Paraguay secured a vital 1-0 victory over Turkey in a dramatic World Cup Group D match, breathing new life into their campaign while condemning Turkey to an early exit.
Former India coach Stephen Constantine shares his views on Lionel Messi, ranking him below Pele, Maradona, and Ronaldinho due to his reliance on teammates for defensive work. He also predicts Spain will win the upcoming final against Argentina, despite acknowledging Argentina's experience and Messi's match-winning ability. Constantine further discusses England's semi-final exit and criticises hydration breaks and refereeing controversies.
'Only the Dalai Lama could have kept the Tibet issue alive the way he did.'
Jannik Sinner successfully defended his Wimbledon title, crediting intensive training after a surprising early exit from the French Open. He defeated Alexander Zverev in the final, marking his fifth major title and highlighting his dedication and resilience.
Thibaut Courtois, Belgium's goalkeeper, expresses confidence in his team's ability to surprise Spain in the upcoming World Cup quarter-final. Despite a shaky group stage, Belgium has shown improved form, and Courtois believes they have the qualities to challenge the European champions. He acknowledges Spain's strengths but highlights Belgium's potential for an upset, drawing on his personal experience playing in Spain.
The Hitman still probably hurts over missing World Cup glory in 2011 and his stellar career rightfully deserves one last hurrah at the ODI World Cup.
'For a community of people that love cinema as much as you guys do here, this will be one of those moments you'll be comparing every cinema experience you have after this one to The Odyssey.'
Actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, on Thursday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, the fourth TMC MP to do so ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led party was ousted from power in West Bengal.
From Ikkis to Balan: The Boy, these are the 10 Indian films that truly deserved the loudest applause in the first half of 2026.
'You can't put an an arm around Naseer sir and say, "sir, ek aur take karte hain". You got to be clear why you want it.'
Miloslav "Curby" Urbanec, a Czech music promoter, has transformed his three-storey house in Bukovka into a vibrant shrine dedicated to the Argentine national football team, featuring sky-blue and white paint, a Lionel Messi mural, and a Diego Maradona statue, all stemming from a childhood passion ignited by the 1978 World Cup.
Prabhsimran Singh credited mentor Yuvraj Singh's tactical guidance and Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting's unwavering faith for his growth, saying both played a pivotal role in earning his maiden India T20I call-up.
By the time Ikka reaches its overblown finale, complete with a redundant trick ending, the verdict becomes clear: Melodrama wins, logic loses, observes Mayur Sanap.
Alexis MacAllister has puts Argentina ahead in the10th minute.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
In the throes of a financial crisis, the state's ruling Congress government has little to be triumphant about as Assembly elections approach next year, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Leading star Diljit Dosanjh anticipated a potential ban during a live stream, urging fans to watch or download it quickly. Following its removal, he posted a resilient response, stating, 'I challenge the darkness'.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Sweden and Japan played out a 1-1 draw in their World Cup Group F match, with Anthony Elanga scoring for Sweden and Daizen Maeda for Japan. The result ensures both teams progress to the knockout rounds, with Japan finishing second and Sweden securing a spot as one of the best third-placed teams.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in West Bengal following a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
Survivors of a tourist boat tragedy in Vietnam, which claimed 15 Indian lives, have expressed outrage over the absence of timely medical preparedness and trained personnel at the accident site, stating they were forced to perform CPR themselves in a desperate attempt to save fellow passengers.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick likened his side's dramatic 3-3 World Cup draw with Algeria to an Alfred Hitchcock film, dismissing conspiracy theories and calling it the most incredible match of his coaching career.
The Indian government is accelerating its sale of minority stakes in state-owned companies, including a significant offer for sale (OFS) in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) expected "very soon," to meet its 80,000 crore mobilisation target and reduce its holdings to 75 per cent in most listed PSUs by year-end.
Anuj, a resident of Second Life since November 2006, is angry. He recently bought a poker table for around 25,000 Linden dollars
Shares of Indian life insurance companies, particularly SBI Life Insurance and Canara HSBC Life Insurance, saw significant declines after the Department of Financial Services (DFS) secretary, M Nagaraju, stated that banks are being asked to avoid exclusive tie-ups with their own insurance subsidiaries and instead remain neutral.
Belgium have their full squad available for the Round of 32 match against Senegal but are not taking Senegal for granted, said coach Rudy Garcia.
An engaged couple, Neelesh Kumar and Anamika Samant, who were planning their wedding, became victims of a devastating fire at a commercial building in Lucknow, turning their families' wedding preparations into funeral arrangements.
Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's much-anticipated India debut ends with 14 off 10 balls as Tilak Varma's explosive final over lifts India to 190/7 against England in the second T20I at Old Trafford.
Youri Tielemans struck a 125th-minute penalty as Belgium rallied from two goals down and defeated Senegal 3-2 after extra time in their World Cup last 32 clash in Seattle on Wednesday to keep alive their title hopes that had looked dead and buried.
Of course, NOT! Here's why. And here's how you can increase your Rs 1 crore retirement corpus.
'A lot of women in their late 30s have healthy babies and there are prenatal screenings and tests that can help families make informed choices,' says rediffGURU Dr Shakeeb Ahmed Khan.
Egypt secured their first-ever World Cup knockout victory, defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a last-32 match at Dallas Stadium, advancing to the last-16.
Wolfgang Petersen's Troy is grand, star-studded and visually impressive, but it never quite lives up to the epic that inspired it.
Erling Haaland struck a dramatic last-gasp winner to send Norway through to the next round of the 2026 World Cup, knocking Ivory Coast out in heartbreaking fashion.
Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their World Cup hopes alive thanks to a stunning goal from teenager Kerim Alajbegovic, which powered them towards a tense 3-1 win over Qatar on Wednesday and secured third place in Group B to eliminate their opponents.
Mexico continued their perfect start to the World Cup with a 3-0 romp against the Czech Republic on Wednesday, finishing their group-stage campaign with a flourish.
Satluj is a chilling reminder of what happens when a state is allowed to become judge, jury and executioner, asserts Sreeju Sudhakaran.
Mumbai is experiencing intense monsoon activity, with over 100 mm of rainfall recorded in 24 hours, leading to widespread waterlogging and two tragic rain-related deaths, as the India Meteorological Department forecasts continued heavy to very heavy showers and gusty winds.
