He was ready even to take on Germany's collective guilt over the Holocaust
'The "Hollandisation" of British policy may not bring the expected gains as the future may show,' says Claude Arpi.
The collector king Sayajirao Gaekwad III, who lived a century ago, put together a fantastic world of Indian and European art for his subjects.
India is the world's fourth-largest importer of natural gas, accounting for six per cent of the global market.
India isn't Israel, nor can it, or should be, says Shekhar Gupta.
'There is no Buddha or Gandhi among countries, existing for the service of others; they all exist for the good of themselves.' 'For each country, its own interests should be paramount, and it is futile and churlish to expect China to be an exception to this rule,' says B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant and long-time China-watcher.
The third quarter generally has more holidays.
There is too much focus on building, infrastructure, the number of teachers (as opposed to quality), number of laboratories and so on, says Vineet Gupta.
Ambassador Islam A'Isi' Siddiqui -- who recently resigned from his position as chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the United States trade representative -- has joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies as senior adviser on Global Food Security.
Is Devyani Khobragade's arrest connected to India detaining an anti-piracy ship owned by a US security firm, asks Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The man behind Aligarh Muslim University 200 years on.
The enduring images of the Games will be not just the great sporting achievements - from US swimmer Michael Phelps' 28th Olympic medal to Usain Bolt's historic sprint 'triple triple' - but also the organizational problems, empty seats and crime.
Efforts by Indian activists to challenge the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill, now pending in Parliament, may get a boost from a controversy that has broken out in the US
'The real danger in India right now is that identity politics is being stoked in extremely dangerous ways.' 'The narrative you get about churches in the mainstream Indian media and the narrative you get in the social media is very different.' 'Many Americans today want to appropriate Indian culture. They want yoga, but they say yoga has nothing to do with Hinduism. They want Ayurveda, but they say it's got nothing to do with Hinduism.' 'Hinduism has been failed by political constituencies in India -- seculars and the right-wing.'
We are all 'Chasing the Monsoon', notes Ajit Balakishnan.
'Chinese leaders rarely receive their foreign guests in cities other than Beijing. Such respect for India!' 'Does it mean that Modi could replicate "the warmth and unconventional way" by sending Indian troops into Tibet, as Xi did in Chumur (Ladakh) when he arrived in India? Of course, Indians are far too polite to do so,' says Claude Arpi.
A meeting to pay homage to K G Subramanyam, one of India's most interesting painters and thinkers.
Brushing aside India's concerns, China on Monday cemented its "all-weather ties" with Pakistan by agreeing to build a strategic $46 billion (Rs 2.9 lakh crore) economic corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of 51 deals signed, expanding the communist giant's influence in the region.
The venture is seen as a rival to the World Bank.
Any additional effort to assuage the growing worldwide hunger for infrastructure funding is more than welcome, says Barun Roy.
'2.0 has Rajinikanth playing a complex character, it has a lot of shades, and he has different looks too. He was very sporting.' Designer Rocky S lives his dream.
Retracing the journey that brought coffee from Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh to an upscale caf in the aristocratic district of Le Marais in Paris.
The new government needs to clearly insist on diplomatic reciprocal arrangements with China. While reciprocity is a function of power in bilateral relations, the Modi-led government's responses should be based on India'S inherent strengths, says China expert Srikanth Kondapalli.
What matters is that you live the moment and remain strong. It doesn't matter which form of music you love. Irrespective, one must spread music because music has the power to spread love and peace, says sensational pianist Stephen Devassy
On his first visit to India, former three-time NBA champion Brian Shaw talks of potential that Indian youngsters possess to make the cut in the NBA and shares his views on the sensational Stephen Curry and his partnership with Shaqueille O'Neal.Norma Godinho/Rediff.com listens in.
The 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, organised by the World Photography Organisation, announces the shortlists for its Professional, Open and Youth competitions.
Brands such as Gap, Primark and C&A which source some of their garments from Tamil Nadu say they do regular audits to ensure their suppliers comply with their codes of conduct.
'Young IFS officers today would take it for granted that they represent a major country with strengths and capabilities.' 'They will be aware that India is seen as one of the 10 significant countries in the world and therefore their voice will be heard whether on climate change or regime change,' says Ambassador B S Prakash.
Lack of opportunities coupled with a desire to get rich quick in the West is fueling Punjab's human trafficking problem.
'Muslims, like people of all other faiths, are quite comfortable with the idea of nationalism and democracy today. But are they following Islam in its spirit? That is a different question.'
'It is vital that objects such as the Harihara -- and collections from South Asia generally -- remain here,' the British Museum tells Vaihayasi Pande Daniel.
'It affects our economy, it is very important in many ways.' 'So we have to be the foremost experts in the world on the monsoon.' 'But the best minds in India have not devoted their time to the study of monsoon and they have followed the fashions of the West.'
For the past few years the top brass at Pearson did pretty well to grapple with the threat of digital disruption.
Satyarup Siddhanta has just one mountain to go before he completes the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains in each of the seven continents.
'Pakistan may feel emboldened to give an upswing to the proxy war in J&K, having secured a better international consensus on its strategic importance.' 'The raising of Pakistani flags by separatists in J&K is an attempt to win psychological space and more of this can be expected as we go into the summer.' 'Pakistan should remain warned that pushing India on this issue will be dangerous.'
"The space you inhabit is an extension of yourself," Nainika Karan had said in an interview. It is with this thought that Gauri and Nainika have extended their fashion line to home decor as well. Pradeep Sachdeva, architect and owner of a design studio, reviews fashion designer Gauri and Nainika's new home decor label
'No other terror organisation has valued popular consensus as the Islamic State does -- instead of repressing people, IS wants to gain their support. This is a major innovation in terrorism,' says terrorism expert and author Dr Loretta Napoleoni in an interview to Archana Masih and Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com.
'It is the regional parties and their leaders who are the ones we have to watch.'
Carmakers fear an increase of Rs 35,000-40,000 per vehicle for safety equipments.
'At one of the UK's best known museums, one of our greatest sculptures had been placed next to a public toilet.' 'This perception that art antiquities are better looked after in the West is one created by the cultural elite of our country.'
