'The politics of it may be wishy-washy and the saviour at Darkest Hour's centre may well be a racist, an imperialist, and an alcoholic, but in Gary Oldman's nimble skin, smacked in layers and layers of prosthetics to resemble the heavily-jowled, cigar-smoking, portly penguin-like demeanour of the British Bulldog, it pretty much screams, "And the Oscar goes to"...' notes Sukanya Verma.
'At the end of the interview, as he walked with us to the elevator, he looked at me and said, "Do you think it was my karma that I should have made this film?"' Arthur J Pais/Rediff.com recalls his encounter with Richard Attenborough.
Venice has experienced some of the worst flooding in its history this week, with flood levels of over six feet submerging the city's most revered and trafficked historical sites. More than 80 per cent of the city, a UNESCO world heritage site, was under water when tides hit their highest, leading Mayor Luigi Brugnaro to declare a state of emergency. Images show roads and famous attractions submerged in floodwaters. Here are some of the famous landmarks and tourist favourites that have been affected by the high tides during the current flood:
The Taliban has its backers, notably Pakistan and China. Their purpose is to have a monstrous entity near India's northern borders to keep democratic, secular India off-guard, observes Amulya Ganguli.
The photo has resonated with many as a moment of humanity that jarred with the broader narrative of violent scuffles between clashing demonstrators.
Rediff.com brings you some images of the Mahatma's statues erected around the globe.
The Queen's coffin then lowered into the royal vault in preparation for her final resting place by the side of her late husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, in an enclave of the historic chapel on her south-east England estate of Windsor.
While all champagnes are sparkling wines, not all sparkling wines are champagnes!, says Alok Chandra.
Seventy-seven years ago, 338,000 British soldiers were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, a stunning great escape which helped Britain avoid defeat in World War II.
The Gandhi statue to be unveiled in Parliament Square will be his second in London. There is another one at the city's Tavistock Square. Aditi Phadnis reports
Polling stations across the United Kingdom opened on Thursday morning to decide the historic referendum on whether the country should remain a member of the European Union or leave the politico-economic union of 28 member states.
An ardent backer of Brexit, Boris Johnson has a reputation for brashness, bombast, bending the truth, and really bad hair, which has earned him more than a few comparisons to United States President Donald Trump (who also happens to be a fan of his). Here are some interesting facts about BoJo, as he is called by the British media.
The Hinduja Group, in partnership with a Spanish industrial company, has acquired UK's iconic Old War Office building that was once occupied by the country's war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Queen Elizabeth II used her banquet speech to subtly remind the visiting US President that the international institutions set up after the World War II were designed to ensure the horrors of conflict were not repeated.
A look back at many memorable moments in his life as Prince Charles.
'I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.' Stirring speeches at the 75th Golden Globes.
'Politicians have always dealt in lies and propaganda.'
'But the scale of the propaganda and the impunity with which it is being unleashed now is stunning,'
For the current generation, enchanted by the monarchy but unaware of its past, The Crown may well perform the role of a history textbook, notes Dhruv Munjal.
Manmohan Singh's reign as prime minister has been severely criticised by his former ministerial colleague Natwar Singh, who says he leaves no legacy after being in power for 10 years.
Count among The Light of Asia's many, many admirers over 132 years: Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Nehru and Ambedkar, Tolstoy and Kipling, Yeats and Eliot, Alfred Nobel, Dmitri Mendeleev and C V Raman. Jairam Ramesh reveals why he decided to write a book on Edwin Arnold, who wrote The Light of Asia.
'It will take years for the mission in Islamabad to recover as a top-notch diplomatic establishment,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Young Indians seem genuinely enthusiastic about craft brands that are hip, aspirational and have plenty of the novelty quotient, says Dhruv Munjal.
The Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar, began on Sunday, January 22.
'All that Mr Modi needed to do was to call Urjit Patel over for a cup of tea and ask him nicely, and this fuss would never have happened.'
'God has given me everything -- wealth, success, a good wife and good friends. I wish He gives me good health.'
It is time the current leaders who swear by 'cultural nationalism', that is religion neutral, assert that Bharatiyata is at the core of our nationalism and India was never a 'Hindu Rashtra', argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
For 80 years, news and views aired on BBC Hindi reached audiences in the remotest parts of the country. For millions of its followers, the signature line -'yeh BBC hai (this is BBC)' -- has been like a morning alarm, and the bulletins a vital link between India and the world. That link, which began when there was no mobile phone or internet, is about to break as the radio service will fall silent after January 31. And for many living in smaller towns and in rural areas, life won't be the same again, writes Nivedita Mookerji.
The colour has been rendered to activities that would have astonished Swami Vivekananda, says Sunanda K Datta Ray.
Democracy is the heart of our body politic and elections are its life blood. Because there is some disease that affects it, we cannot apply leeches to drain it off, killing the body in the process, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
Reading books will make you curious, build your imagination and nourish your brain into an organic super power.
A summary of Sunday's action in the Premier League.
The well-known satirist, who has issued a statement saying his comments weren't intended to insult the country, found backing from Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra as well as Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor.
A look at the current contenders International Bank Note Society's Banknote of the Year
'J'One of the reasons Jim Comey was fired was because he wouldn't pledge loyalty to Trump, which meant that whatever Trump is hiding would be dismissed or the investigations will be stopped.'
'Many misunderstood non-violent satyagraha as a passive strategy; it was anything but that,' notes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The much-awaited Mahatma Gandhi's bronze statue at Britain's historic Parliament Square will be unveiled on March 14
The exhibition is conceived as a 'lived experience' creation, based on work with descendants and communities to collect stories related to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field
'Russian diplomacy is presumably at work.' 'The ground is slippery, because "territorial sovereignty" is a hugely sensitive issue,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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