Despite the smaller scale of the event, the mood at the ceremony was cheerful, notes Aseem Chhabra.
'This speech is going to be more of a punishment. I spoke too much this afternoon' A tireless Prime Minister Narendra Modi left over 700 notable luminaries in peals of laughter with his quick wit and sense of humour during a dinner and reception hosted by Indian Ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Taj-owned, The Pierre Hotel. In the presence of the who's who of desi Americans and US lawmakers, Modi once again thanked the Indian-Americans for their contributions and discussed his plans of developing India and the ties he hopes to nurture with America. Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com presents a sneak-peak into the festive, grand dinner.
European champions Real will play host side Al Ain FC in Saturday's final in Abu Dhabi as they bid to win the title for the third year in a row.
Aseem Chhabra brings you the Best of the Berlinale.
No such decision has been taken either in the Indian Ocean or South China Sea.
'India's emergence as a global voice and global point of focus comes more from her economy,' says Frank G Wisner.
South Korea coach Choi Kang-hee humiliated the Iranian people when he said he had been 'badly treated' in Tehran last year and wanted to stop the West Asian's qualifying for the World Cup, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz said on Thursday.
I can't see what purpose can be served by an apology by a British government that cannot in any way be blamed for one sadistic man running amok 100 years ago, argues Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
Two more members of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team militant group have been arrested in connection with the hacking to death of a fourth secular blogger in Dhaka last week that sparked global outrage.
The agreement would divert China's attention and keep them busy in the Pacific theatre, probably resulting in a reduction in threat perception in our area of interest in the Indian Ocean, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Official sources said withdrawal of tanks and other armoured elements from certain friction points is nearing completion while pulling back of troops from the North bank areas is being undertaken.
The chief of America's Federal Communications Commission is not a fan of net neutrality. So what's his vision of communications and digital policy in these times?
United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake, while briefing reporters on the meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on the sidelines of the 65th United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the issue of direct and complete access to Pakistani American and Lashkar operative David Coleman had not come up at all at these talks.
Marking a key milestone in the Indian government's fight against black money allegedly stashed abroad, India will get this month the complete information on flats, apartments and condominiums owned by Indians in Switzerland as also on earnings made from such properties to help it look into tax liabilities associated with those assets.
A summary of sports events and persons in the news over the weekend.
'The Modi government's lurch toward America has not brought it any dividends so far. The Western world is simply not in a position to make big investments in India... India needs to take a leap of faith vis-a-vis China.'
'I was told by everyone who mattered that it was dangerous for me to be an out-of-the-closet lesbian, who is a Pakistani in America. But I've never played by the rules.'
India is one of the key countries that will shape the 21st century, believes Robert D Blake, assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs in the Barack Obama administration.Keynoting a conference titled 'Natural allies? US-Indian Relations in the Obama Era', organised by the Washington-based think tank American Enterprise Institute on Monday, Blake stressed that India's importance to the United States has not diminished.
Arjun Atwal became the first Indian and just the sixth Asian-born player to win on the PGA Tour when he secured a one-stroke victory at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday. Atwal joined Japanese trio Isao Aoki, Shigeki Maruyama and Ryuji Imada and South Koreans K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang in an elite but growing club of champions from world's most populous continent.
A federal jury on Monday convicted Susan Xiao-Ping Su, the founder of California-based Tri Valley University.
'The Dalai Lama is in a tearing hurry.' 'The 'reincarnation' card remains unplayed, and time is running out.' 'Is something big being planned for the event of Tibetan Buddhist leaders in Leh in November?' asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Jamaican triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt opened his 100 metres season with the year's fastest time, clocking 9.86 seconds in Daegu, South Korea on Wednesday.
'We used to say two things are found everywhere: A potato and a Sikh. I think you can substitute Gujarati for the Sikh because Gujaratis are everywhere.'
Calling India an indispensable partner for the 21st century, United States Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday the dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit of this bilateral relationship is needed to solve some of world's greatest challenges.
A star-studded England will take on unpredictable Chile in a Group F match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored with a free kick which went through the defensive wall to break Gremio's brave resistance and give Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over the South American champions in the Club World Cup final on Saturday.
Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal will travel to Bangalore and New Delhi from March 4 to 6
'The COVID-19 pandemic must push the military into a long-term reconsideration of its primary challenges.' 'There must be greater emphasis on humanitarian aid and disaster relief including the management of contagious illnesses and impending crises caused by climate change,' notes Ajai Shukla.
'Attractively priced' stocks, healthy debt ratios, plus solid manufacturing prowess position Korea to profit from growth in China and the Mideast.
'The way the winners react and the speeches they deliver.' 'That is where the fun happens, when the actors and other winners let down their guard, challenge the system, talk about issues that should matter to us,' says Aseem Chhabra.
United States Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin arrived in India on Friday on a three-day visit, aimed at further boosting bilateral defence and security ties in the wake of China's growing military assertiveness in the region including the Indo-Pacific.
A breakthrough will come from what we teach and how, says Ajit Balakrishnan.
America's largest online auction firm eBay Inc has entered into an agreement to acquire majority stake in South Korea's Gmarket for up to $1.2 billion, a move which will help in expanding its Asian operations.
'No other leader in our history, or that of our neighbours, has been able to produce anything of the quality that Nehru did,' says Aakar Patel.
Summary of World Cup qualifiers played across the world on Thursday
Longtime diplomatic observers feel that if Narendra Modi were to become prime minister or even a Cabinet official if the BJP captures power in the next election, there is no way the State Department would refuse him entry into the US, unless Washington wanted to risk the unravelling of the carefully nurtured US-India strategic partnership. Rediff.com's Aziz Haniffa reports from Washington, DC.
It was a scenario he had long dreamed about, yet facing the reality of playing Tiger Woods in Sunday's final round for a major championship made it difficult for South Korea's Yang Yong-eun to sleep. Yang kept his cool when it counted and outplayed Woods to win the US PGA Championship, ending the American's perfect mark of winning all 14 majors in which he led going into Sunday and becoming the first Asian male to win a major in one fell swoop.
'The fatal mistake for the USSR was the invasion of Afghanistan.' 'Quite possibly the fatal mistake for the Chinese empire is the assault on Ladakh,' observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
The combined 10 Asian currencies have appreciated by 6.6%.
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