While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
Poland battled past Switzerland 2-1 in the United Cup final on Sunday to banish the pain of title-round defeats in the previous two editions and secure a long-awaited maiden triumph in the season-opening mixed-team competition.
Eighteen new-age technology firms went public during the year, a near triple increase from the five firms that debuted in 2023 and 38 per cent more than 2024's tally of 13.
If fashion had a personality switch button, Pooja Hegde would be pressing it every day and winning every single time.
Swiatek rejects 'Battle of the Sexes' and backs mixed team events
'It was so authentic, I felt I was watching myself. I saw a small clip, now I'm going to watch the whole episode. What I saw was priceless. I was laughing so much I couldn't breathe!'
He added that to win Test matches in Australia, a team needs to do well in all three departments, which his side didn't do throughout the Ashes series.
Neeraj Chopra has ended his decade long partnership with JSW Sports to launch his own athlete management firm, Vel Sports.
Office redevelopment is emerging as a key growth frontier for developers as India's commercial real estate market shifts towards quality, sustainability, and capital efficiency. With land parcels scarce in central business districts (CBDs) and demand for Grade A offices remaining strong, developers and investors are increasingly turning to ageing office stock in prime locations to unlock value.
The highest number of requests was reported for the purchase or construction of residential houses, which stood at 172,625, of which 155,236 were settled, involving an amount of Rs 1,327.91 crore partial withdrawals under the National Pension System (NPS) in FY 2024-25, according to data from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) annual report released this month.
Kerala has earned a spot on Rough Guides' list of the world's top travel destinations for 2026, with the popular guidebook publisher highlighting the state as a must-visit location for the year ahead.
Deepika Padukone turns 40 on January 5, and Namrata Thakker lists the 40 things we love about her.
'I'm looking forward to what 2026 has in store. I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon.'
'The Maoist leadership spread fear that surrender meant torture or death. Once that false narrative collapsed and our operations proved transparent and credible, the surrender momentum became irreversible.' 'From 42,000 square kilometres, Maoist activity is now confined to barely 500-600 square kilometres -- less than two per cent of Bastar. This is their last remaining base area.'
New Zealand are not dwelling on the T20 World Cup, which is still a month away, and are instead focused on the immediate challenge of facing the Indian bowlers in the upcoming white-ball series, batter Daryl Mitchell said on Wednesday.
In 2026, try and include these 10 crucial foods in your diet.
'When my character died in Border, I felt a strange sense of pride. But today, I sometimes feel that if my character had survived, perhaps I would have been a part of Border 2.'
rediffGURU Dr Nagarajan JSK counsels a student on the possibilities and challenges of pursuing a medical residency in Germany.
Bajaj Finserv on Thursday said it has completed the acquisition of Allianz SE's stake in Bajaj General Insurance and Bajaj Life Insurance, worth Rs 12,190 crore and Rs 9,200 crore, respectively. Bajaj Finserv, along with Bajaj Holdings & Investment and Jamnalal Sons, acquired the foreign insurer's 23 per cent stake in the businesses, marking the largest transaction in the Indian insurance sector.
As Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner prepare for their season-opening exhibition match in Incheon, the world's top two men's tennis players floated the prospect of one day playing together in a doubles tournament.
In other first-round qualifying matches, Indians Dev Javia and Adil Kalyanpur put up spirited performances but were edged out in three-set battles by higher-ranked opponents, Dominik Palan and Eero Vasa, respectively.
India's first maritime lender, state-owned Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) hit the ground running with a Rs 4,300 crore disbursement announcement last Tuesday, within months of being registered as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in June 2025.
In her third letter to Kumar since the SIR began, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of political bias, insensitivity, and high-handedness during the exercise.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said the selectors were right in appointing Shubman Gill as India's ODI captain last year, stating that the youngster is ready for "big challenges".
New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson says he can only marvel at the Indian superstar's craft as he operates at a "different level", one where great batters have their way even if bowlers try to contain them.
President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from over 60 international organisations, including United Nations bodies and the India-France-led International Solar Alliance, calling the institutions 'redundant' and 'contrary' to America's interests.
'The immediate impact for India will be very minimal as the share of Venezuela in our total overseas production is very low.'
'The tools of warfare are changing. The MoD must deepen its engagement with technology thinkers that can present compelling visions of where warfare may be heading.'
India's market regulator has found that Bank of America shared confidential details ahead of a 2024 block trade and later misled regulators during the investigation.
A trade deal makes sense only if it is fair and reciprocal. If the cost is strategic dependence or loss of policy space, waiting is the wiser option, asserts Ajay Srivastava.
In a prospective arranged marriage, the bride-to-be feels that her groom is avoiding her. She turns to rediffGURU Dr Upneet Kaur for advice.
'A poor candidate was given a chance so that the concerns of ordinary, needy citizens could be represented.'
Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal has urged the Bangladesh Cricket Board to avoid being driven by "public emotion" while deciding the national team's participation in next month's T20 World Cup.
The XUV 7XO comes with high tech features, comfort and safety but it will be interesting to see if 7XO can match the popularity of XUV 700, notes Rediff's Hemant Waje.
'He was the Michael Jackson of the community.'
The new year starts up bringing a wave of fresh new handsets, all set to arrive in January 2026.
Pulmonologist Dr Harish Chafle highlights when and why you must not ignore a common cough.
'Had I been launched as a leading actor, it would probably have worked better.' 'Prabhu Devaa came eight years after me. Maybe if a filmmaker had thought of a film for me like the ones he got, my career would have been a different trajectory.'
Amid the ongoing debate over remarks made by Hindu spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur against actor Shah Rukh Khan over the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the role of the BCCI and the ICC in allowing Bangladeshi players to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction pool.
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