Grandmaster Nodirbek Yakubboe said he didn't respond to Indian GM R Vaishali's handshake gesture because of 'religious reasons'.
The Maha Kumbh, a massive religious gathering in Prayagraj, India, is preparing for the culmination of its events with the Mahashivratri 'snan' (sacred bath) on Wednesday. Authorities have declared the entire mela area a 'no vehicle zone' and are urging devotees to take a dip at the ghat nearest to them to avoid crowding at the Sangam. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is monitoring the arrangements and has issued an advisory for devotees, outlining specific ghats for different arrival routes. The Maha Kumbh has seen a record number of pilgrims, exceeding 64 crore. Security arrangements are robust with over 37,000 police personnel and 14,000 home guards deployed. The fair has also been hailed for its cleanliness and safety measures. The event is expected to conclude with the Mahashivratri puja.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and six-time Asian champion Shiva Thapa secured impressive victories in their respective boxing bouts at the 38th National Games in Dehradun.
Actors, directors and admirers mourned legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal on Saturday evening.
Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light continues to shine on the global stage.
Viswanathan Anand is the third Indian in the top 10, occupying the 10th spot with an ELO rating of 2750.
Rediff.com Contributing Photographer Pradeep Bandekar glimpsed these stars on Monday.
'There are several talented players like R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, so the future is certainly bright.'
India became only the third country to win both the men's and women's gold medals at the same Chess Olympiad.
The media trains its guns on the contestants. How do they fare?
After a character and film like this, at least for a while, everything else Vicky Kaushal does will look bland, asserts Deepa Gahlot.
Her acclaimed film All We Imagine As Light received two Golden Globe nominations in the Best Director (Motion Picture) and Best Motion Picture (Non English Language Film) categories. This marks the first time an Indian director has been nominated in the Director category.
Shyam Benegal passed into the ages on December 23, leaving behind a rich legacy. We look back at some interesting moments from his life.
Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain clinched the women's 75kg gold at the National Games in Dehradun.
Chhaava deserves 2 stars for the historically half-baked film that it is, but 4 stars just for its attempt on making a film on Sambhaji, observes Prasanna D Zore.
'She couldn't fight back because she was emotionally drained out and her immunity was low.'
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi scored his fourth victory on the trot and gave India an early lead in the match against Serbia in the fourth round of the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad.
The Maha Kumbh, billed as the world's largest gathering, concluded on Wednesday after 45 days, with lakhs of devotees taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Despite a stampede that killed at least 30 people, millions continued to visit the Kumbh, seeking salvation through the ritual bath. The event saw a mix of faith, tradition, and technology, drawing pilgrims and tourists from across the globe.
The actor-director was the showstopper for Designer Sanjukta Dutta at the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week.
Rameshbabu Vaishali won the women's qualifier scoring 9.5 points out of 11 to advance to the quarter-finals of the World Blitz Championship.
What is pushing students to take this extreme step?
Movie star-Minister Suresh Gopi visited Thane over the weekend to campaign for the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.
India men dropped their first point, but carried enough steam to beat Hungary to maintain a clean slate in the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad.
Antim Panghal once again confirmed her emergence as one of the top wrestlers in the country by winning the World Championships trials in Patiala on Friday.
Gorgeous bridal showstoppers from the FDCI x Lakme Fashion Week.
When I go to act in a film, I don't think of the journey.'
Tania Sachdev on Monday lamented the "lack of recognition" from the government of Delhi, prompting chief minister Atishi to reach out to her
Yaariyan Actor Himansh Kohli wed Vini Kohli in Delhi on November 12, and he posted quite a few pictures on his social media feed.
The growing decline of MTech applicants in Indian colleges is due to multiple factors, including outdated curricula, poor return on investment and lucrative non-engineering alternatives, say experts.
Mrunal becomes a bride... Tamannaah promotes her new film... Subbaraju gets hitched, finally!
It is a pleasure to watch talented actresses break out of their comfort zones.
In life, you always need that someone who directs you to the right path, who shows you the way. In my case, I was very fortunate it was Aditya Chopra.
No one told them what had happened until late at night. And then too, it came through the media, the family said.
Uzbekistan's young grandmaster Abdusattorov Nodirbek emerged sole leader in the open section of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid tournament in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Payal Kapadia's understanding of what it means to be a woman is as poignant as her authentic portrait of Mumbai's hoi polloi, observes Sukanya Verma.
Divya Nair/Rediff.com speaks to students and experts to find out whether it is better to study management in India or try for an international MBA.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway delivered a flawless performance on the final day to clinch the title in the Open section
Magnus Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible 9.
'Konkona just walked up, and both of us froze. She was tearing up, and I was like this is unbelievable.' 'We had Tannishtha Chatterjee, Divya Dutta, Rasika Dugal, Dia Mirza... women I've idolised.'
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