On this joyous occasion, rediff.com wishes all its readers 'Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,' as we a take a look at pictures of Christmas festivities from across the globe.
Welcome to the weekly fashion round-up, where we bring you the latest on supermodels, style, designers and everything in-between!
A 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl who spoke out against Taliban atrocities in their former stronghold of Swat was on Tuesday shot in the head and seriously injured, with the banned outfit saying they had targeted her for her "pro-West" views.
The worried families of three missing British schoolgirls believed to have fled to Syria to join the Islamic State on Monday made a moving plea to them to come back home as Scotland Yard sent its officers to search for them in Turkey.
A portion of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's ashram was burnt down in Pariya village at Pardi taluka in Valsad, Gujarat by a group of ex-followers, who are upset after allegations of sexual assault surfaced against him, police said.
The local boys used to harass girls at a government residential school.
The 69-year-old, who also served as Nagaland governor and led the investigation into the Aarushi Talwar murder case, left behind a note saying he was "embarking on a new journey", officials said.
After she failed in her grade ten examinations, Aarti Naik would've ended up being a domestic help like most of her classmates but chose to fight the situation she was in. Today she teaches schoolgirls from her neighbourhood for free lest they fail in their examinations and in life.
Get your lowdown on what's going on in the world of Hollywood, right here!
A close aide of Asaram who was evading arrest in connection with the murder of a prime witness in a rape case against the self-styled godman has been arrested.
Deepika, Soha, Neha's camaraderie on stage will make you smile!
Author Natasha Badhwar explains her love-hate relationship with writing in her latest book Immortal for a Moment.
It's exam time again! The sun is always shining and you are stuck indoors hitting the books, right? Sleepless nights, revision stress and tension, tension, tension! Here are 7 simple ways to beat exam stress.
Defending champions Australia crushed India by 85 runs in the final to win their record fifth ICC Women's T20 World Cup title, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Sunday. Opting to bat, Australia rode on blistering half-centuries by openers Alyssa Healy (75) and Beth Mooney (78 not out) to post a huge 184 for four before their bowlers, led by Megan Schutt (4/18) and Jess Jonassen (3/20) sent India crashing for a lowly 99 in 19.1 overs.
Liked Katrina's look in Bharat? Now, you can wear it!
A 19-year-old man is being questioned on suspicion that he was involved in the murder of a British Indian schoolgirl as she walked home along an unlit riverside footpath.
Indian national Maninder Pal Singh Kohli was on Tuesday found guilty of kidnapping, raping and murdering 17-year-old British schoolgirl Hannah Foster in Southampton in March 2003.
An 11-year old schoolgirl, who was allegedly meted out severe corporal punishment by her school teacher, died on Friday at a hospital in New Delhi. The girl was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after Manju, a teacher, allegedly punished her for not answering some questions. Shanno, a class II student of MCD primary school in Bawana, was 'made to stand' in the sun with bricks on her shoulders allegedly. She breathed her last at Maharishi Valmiki Hospital.
The person has described himself as 'Abhinav Tripathi, a social worker' and asked PM Modi to 'acknowledge that your visit to Kashi is being opposed'.
A letter to this effect is being sent to the central government on Thursday. "It was eveident from media reports that the Talwar family does not have any faith in the investigations by the UP police. I sympathise with the family and have no objection if it satisfies them that the probe is carried out by the CBI." Mayawati said.
'It was always my intention to be different, because that is the only way to last.'
The Delhi government on Saturday terminated the services of Uma Khurana, the teacher who is accused of forcing schoolgirls into prostitution.
To put things in perspective, Americans constitute 5 per cent of the global population, but consume about 40 per cent of the global resources.
A Sikh schoolgirl who was forbidden from attending classes after she refused to remove her Kara told a British Court that she should not have been asked to take it off because it was a symbol of faith and not a piece of jewellery.
Mithali made her ODI debut against England in Milton Keynes in January 1999 and on Friday became the first woman to complete in 200 matches in the 50-over format
Fiona MacKeown, mother of British schoolgirl Scarlette Keeling, who was found dead on a beach in Goa, has admitted that she was imprisoned for a year as a teenager for stabbing her employer after he allegedly tried to force himself on her friend, local media reported on Saturday. "It's something that happened, and I learnt a lot from it," 43-year-old MacKeown told The Times. "But it has no relevance to Scarlette's case," she said.
Bengal's rookie batswoman Richa Ghosh in India squad
Blessy's latest offering starring Dileep and Meera Jasmine is a departure from his usual style of stories that focus on the nuclear family. This film he claimed to be a combination of a love story and a thriller leaves you numb by the time it ends.
Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours.
As 22 students died after eating mid-day meal in Bihar's Chhapra, about 50 children of another government school were taken ill on Wednesday after they were served food under the scheme in Madhubani district of the state.
But there was some disappointment among sections of the gathering since many in those sworn-in are accused of serious rights abuses and links to the drugs trade.
'Worryingly, intelligence assessments indicate that growing disaffection amongst the youth is ceding ground to fundamentalist Islamist groups like Islamic State,' reports Ajai Shukla.
We want to know what you've drawn this Diwali! Send us your photographs!
After a gap of nearly two years, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday returned to blogosphere to announce the steps taken by the state government to encourage girl's education in the state.
American schoolgirl Michelle Wie, golf's most celebrated teenager since Tiger Woods, announced her long-awaited decision to turn professional on Wednesday.
His parents have threatened to commit mass suicide if he is hanged.
