As the curtains come down at the Tokyo Olympics, here's a glance at the medallists and those who came within touching distance of glory.
Five-times grand slam tennis champion Maria Sharapova hit out at some media accounts of her doping case that she termed "wrong" in an open letter to her fans on Facebook on Friday. Sharapova, who tested positive for the banned drug meldonium at the Australian Open in January, is facing a suspension of up to four years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and has already lost numerous sponsorships in the aftermath. The former world number one thanked her fans for their "tremendous outpouring of support" before launching into a critique of what she believed were some inaccurate reports. "A report said that I had been warned five times about the upcoming ban on the medicine I was taking. That is not true and it never happened," Sharapova wrote. The 28-year-old Russian said she was making no excuses for not knowing about the ban that went into effect on Jan. 1, but said that after the first announcement, other notices were "buried in newsletters, websites, or handouts." "Again, no excuses, but it's wrong to say I was warned five times," said Sharapova, who has said she took the drug for 10 years due to a family history of heart issues and diabetes.
Why omit the Tiananmen massacre from the history of China's Communist party, asks Claude Arpi.
'This proved that whatever was growing in the mosquito's gut was a parasite -- it was almost certainly the malarial parasite.'
'Faith, and the notion that it has been 'outraged', is used to justify the most outrageous, illiberal and regressive acts,' notes Shuma Raha.
Since its entry in 2016, Netflix has announced over 60 titles to be sourced from India.
The list comprising old and new fiction as well as non-fiction deals with the intrinsic issues that continue to affect Africa today.
His family found an old man on a bed soaked through with urine at the J J Hospital. The man whose name drew thousands to public meetings was requesting anyone who cared to listen to change his bedsheets. But there was no one to do so.
A big part of October's charm is in its taking of a cinematic tragedy and presenting to us how we may experience it in real life, says Sreehari Nair.
'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.
Rediff reader Ashok Gupta, 60 from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh shares his advice on how to keep COVID-19 away.
'Good shot, yaar; but why are you batting so aggressively, almost angrily?' Amarnath wants to know. 'Jimmy pa, you don't know, he swore at me in Madras. I have been waiting for an opportunity to give it back!' Yashpal responds.
Kapil Dev's running catch at the boundary, to dismiss Viv Richards, is widely remembered by fans and cricketers alike, but Martin Crowe's effort to pocket a lunging catch and dismiss Zimbawe's Dave Houghton in the 1987 Reliance World Cup will always be special, reckons Siva Sankar
Fadnavis also dismissed Hegde's claim as 'absolutely wrong' and said nothing of that sort happened.
Tawang is very much a part of India, and if the present Dalai Lama decides one day to take rebirth in Tawang, the Indian government will openly welcome him and support him, notes Claude Arpi.
Having failed to wear down the protesters, the government has now resorted to a bare-knuckle campaign to discredit them by portraying them as pawns in a wider plot bankrolled by shadowy 'anti-national' and 'Islamist' forces, notes Hasan Suroor.
It takes only 30 minutes a day and is internationally acclaimed and scientifically proven.
Aseem Chhabra lists 10 of his favourite films that played in various sections at the 74th Cannes Film Festival.
The latest whistleblower complaint accusing him of pressuring finance team members to inflate profitability has come right out of the blue. There's another allegation that he made racist remarks against some board colleagues. For a man with a singular focus on the business and clients, all of this must have blindsided him.
'But India, increasingly, is not that far behind, which is a story I never expected to tell.'
There is action, drama, emotion, comedy -- everything in equal measure and lots of stylish sequences featuring Rajinikanth. Clearly, Darbar is a visual treat for fans, says Divya Nair.
The film could have been a true horror flick if the casting would had been better.
'It will only get worse, definitely, for the next month and one-and-a-half months.'
Voices of resentment resonated in the camps of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress criticising the choice of new faces by the leadership. Sena leaders have expressed disapproval over party seniors and former ministers not finding a place.
'Scientists around the world are focused on very quickly doing work to help us better understand what we are facing.' 'I am inspired by what scientists have found in such a short amount of time since the virus emerged.'
In an offline chat, mind/life coach, NLP trainer and Mental Health Guru Anu Krishna encourages Rediff.com readers to talk about their problems and offers solutions.
The op-ed ends with a call to the world to work shoulder to shoulder to end hate, violence and suffering.
'This is for the first time that a strong, solid evidence-based investigation has happened.' 'It can meet international standards and put the onus on the Pakistanis.'
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was facing "imminent" death with doctors pessimistic about his life-threatening condition, the hospital where he has been in coma since a 2006 stroke said on Sunday.
'You will still want to take all the necessary precautions, which is the right thing to do.'
'We are already exhausted, but we can't give up.' 'The battle is still on.' 'We will see some respite by December 2021.'
People who have joint problems, heart condition or are taking any medications for blood pressure should approach HIIT with caution, says health coach Amogh Gadewar.
'There is no future for the Shiv Sena under Uddhavji's leadership.'
Here's how you can enjoy your favourite snack and keep bad cholesterol under control too.
If not treated early, it could lead to partial or full blindness.
Wellness expert Roopashree Sharma tells you how you can use natural methods to improve your health.
Panneerselvam also alleged that by shedding crocodile tears, Sasikala kept the MLAs on her side.
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