Chelsea struck the woodwork twice but could not find a breakthrough in an entertaining 0-0 Champions League draw at Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday that left everything to play for in Group G.
Atletico Madrid were handed a chance to avenge last season's Champions League final defeat by city rivals and record 10-times winners Real after the two sides were drawn together in the last eight on Friday. Paris St Germain and Barcelona were paired together having met in the group stage, with the French side winning in Paris and the Catalans coming out on top in Spain.
Fiorentina tore apart Italian rivals AS Roma to reach the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-0 win that left their opponents' season in tatters and under-fire coach Rudi Garcia tottering on the brink of the sack.
Two late goals in two minutes from Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez gave European champions Barcelona a dramatic 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Echoing the position articulated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, China and Russia on Thursday warned that imminent withdrawal of fiscal stimulus by the US could have an adverse impact on the global economy and cautioned the Obama administration against it.
Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country's historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament.
Russian firms expand their footprint in India. And take bigger steps to do business with India's private sector.
The two countries also asked all nations to stop cross-border movement of terrorists and asserted that a decisive collective response from the international community without 'double standards and selectivity' was required to combat the threat of terrorism.
Rediff.com takes a look at a few other players who shunned champion sides for mediocre clubs in the Premier League.
'Every single American act to weaken Syrian forces would only tilt the military balance in favour of ISIS whom Trump pledges to vanquish from the face of the earth,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Having absorbed the body blow of losing striker Radamel Falcao in the close season, Atletico Madrid have emerged as genuine contenders to break the title stranglehold of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Six men are in the news, and in very different boats
Amid widespread debate about a possible military strike by the United States against Syria, a new poll by CNN/ORC revealed Monday that an overwhelming majority of Americans does not want their country to get involved in yet another war.
Shot in 2014, these images from across the globe will tell that it is a crazy world out there!
Five weeks after he seized the Labor Party leadership, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Sunday set September 7 as the date for the country's next parliamentary elections amid growing unemployment and budget deficit.
The three teams with 100 percent records in this season's Champions League can secure their places in the knockout stage this week with two games to spare.
5 exceptional players who surprised us at Melbourne.
Here's your weekly digest of photographs that prove that it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there!
Diego Costa continued his rich vein of form as he helped leaders Chelsea to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa while Louis van Gaal enjoyed only his second Premier League win as Manchester United manager following a 2-1 victory against West Ham.
'It is a diamond which has a very long competitive history.'
The Middle East's power house is about to get a new ruler who is only 31 and he may lead Saudi Arabia for decades, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Looking at some of Bollywood's coldest film locations.
Before leaving on a 10-day foreign visit starting Monday, Sharma said he would address concerns of foreign retail sector investors and ensure help in setting up stores.
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In an exciting weekend for football lovers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continued their extraordinary double act, both scoring hat-tricks as Real Madrid and Barcelona maintained their battle for supremacy at the top of La Liga. Chelsea's unbeaten start to the Premier League season ended with a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday but no-one can get the better of Bayern Munich, who marched on in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. We present a summary of events in photos.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid led a Spanish Armada into the Champions League last 16 with home wins on Wednesday and in-form Aaron Ramsey steadied Arsenal's boat with a battling win against rocky Borussia Dortmund.
A round-up of Euro 2016 warm-up matches played on Sunday
Ahead of the UEFA Champions League proper, which kicks-off next month, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com tells football fans what to expect in this year's competition.
Srikanth Kondapalli on what to expect from the seventh BRICS summit meeting to be held in Russia in July.
The IMF dashed any hope that Athens could avert default.
We have brought about a slew of reforms that would help improve governance and also facilitate industrial growth, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje tells Sahil Makkar.
Taking on board India's concerns, the G-20 Summit on Friday acknowledged that excess volatility of financial flows and disorderly movements in exchange rates can affect economic and financial stability of emerging markets and called for sound policies to address it.
'The Russians? had risen to great heights of sacrifice and heroism and won a victory against Hitler and Nazism at such a tremendous cost in spite of being weighed down by the tyranny and oppression of Stalin.'
'The surge of Saudi nationalism is the last thing Washington wants,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Images from the Europa League matches played on Thursday
Two goals from Thomas Mueller and one from substitute Mario Goetze helped Bayern Munich kick off their Champions League campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Olympiakos.
Toni Kroos struck with a fierce long-range shot a minute from time to give Germany a 1-0 victory over Spain in a friendly between two injury-depleted European heavyweights in Vigo on Tuesday.
Top 20 images of all the events of the week that was.
Check out the 10 most expensive transfers in British soccer history.
Top 21 images of all the events of the week that was.
