The teacher who has become an icon
I learnt how he brought hope into the lives of many poor children, making them believe everyday that in merit and hard work lie life's endless opportunities. How Lashkar benefits from Kashmir tension
Mounting tensions in Kashmir has come as a shot in the arm for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, which has been looking desperately for a reason to keep the Valley on the boil. Pix: Protests continue across tense Kashmir
To curb the spread of violence, authorities on Wednesday clamped a curfew on more areas in south Kashmir, where three youths were killed when Central Reserve Police Force troopers allegedly opened fire during clashes with protestors on Tuesday. Pix: Chocolate as you have never seen before
Mouthwatering images from the World Chocolate Wonderland in Taipei. Images: The worst dictators in the world
Let's take a look at some of the most notorious despots and dictators who make the world a much, much more dangerous place to live in 'Children shouldn't die in front of their parents'
Rediff.com's brings forth the anguished stories of some of the inconsolable victims of the Kanishka bombing, as they try to come into terms with the new developments. Kathewadi: A village from another time
We are finally in view of Kathewadi, a tiny village in the back of the beyond in Nanded district in Maharashtra. It's been a 6-hour journey from Hyderabad across two states to satisfy our curiosity about this village and its people havingturned their lives around. Can it change so much I wonder? Is it possible in today's times to run a shop unmanned by a shop keeper? To have that trust that goods bought would be paid for ? Why Indian generals will never be like McChrystal
In contrast to India, where civil-military relations remain mired in wary mutual watchfulness, America has demonstrated a robust civil-military structure with a healthy tolerance for risk. The most powerful women politicians in the world
Rediff.com takes a look at the most powerful women politicians across the world, who have increasingly made their presence felt in a man's world. Caste mathematics at work in Bihar. Who will win?
With assembly polls due in Bihar later this year, political parties have gone on an offensive to woo different caste and community groups in the state. 'Power corrupts and nobody wants to let go of it'
'No political office anywhere in the world holds as much clout and influence over society as it does in India. I say that because the political office holder is the only person in the country whose influence is far more than his or her innate merit,' says L K Advani. Here's why drug users become addicts
A typical drug user's transition to addiction could result from a persistent impairment of synaptic plasticity (the ability of the connection between two neurons to change in strength) in a key structure of the brain, suggests a new French study. Exclusive: L K Advani on the Emergency
'The Emergency showed the Congress'level of commitment to democracy, freedom of the press and all the other attributes regarded as imperative for a sound democracy,' says L K Advani in a special feature to mark the 35th anniversary of the Emergency. 'Kanishka bombing report has brought no closure'
On June 18, Justice John Major released a scathing report on the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing investigation, terming it an Air India, Canadian atrocity. The report criticised Candian authorities for ignoring warnings about a likely terror strike on the aircraft and lapses in subsequent investigations. Where it all began for Nikki Haley
'My goal is to show people that I am going to be there to represent everyone. I appreciate and will take all the support that comes my way, but at the end of the day, I am going to work hard to represent all people of South Carolina.' Nikki Haley spells out her priorities. Pix: Finns are happiest, Indians 45th, Pak last
The prosperity index ranks nations based upon the 'foundations of prosperity: factors that help produce happy citizens. US' top Afghan commander 'derides' Biden
America's top commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley A McChrystal, and his advisors have reportedly ridiculed United States Vice President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama's Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard C Holbrooke and the US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry. Pix: Students return safely from riot-hit Kyrgyz
The relief at finally being home is visible in the eyes of the 70 medical students, who were evacuated from riot affected Kyrgyzstan, and landed at New Delhi on Tuesday morning. How US money reaches Taliban in Afghanistan
To ensure safe passage of its supply convoys throughout Afghanistan, warlords in the country are getting tens of millions of dollars of American money, some of which may be reaching the Taliban as well, a new report has said. Pix: Taxi, auto strike leads to chaos in Mumbai
There was some respite for Mumbaikars when the strike was called off in the evening. However, the prospect of soon having to shell out more for their journey left them anguished. 'Fabricated stories ruined the lives of my sons'
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa travels to Bhatkal on Karnataka's west coast to investigate how a quaint town turned into a hotspot. There he meets the parents of Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal who, security agencies say, are behind a spate of terrorist attacks in the country. Nikki Haley poised to win nomination
If she wins in November, Haley will be the second Indian-American to be governor of an American state after Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, not a small achievement for a community which accounts for less than one per cent of the entire American population. Taxi, auto strike ends in Mumbai, Delhi hikes fare
The recent increase in the prices of CNG has prompted auto and taxi drivers to demand demand hike in fares. 'Hinduism and terrorism cannot go together'
Ram Madhav, the media savvy member of the RSS national executive, vehemently denies the organisation's direct or indirect involvement with terrorism and claims it is not infected by such radical elements. Melting Antarctic glacier spells trouble
In a new research into the impact of melting ice on global sea level, scientists have found that thinning ice in Antarctica is contributing nearly 10 per cent of sea level rise and Pine Island Glacier is the major source. The life and times of Rahul Gandhi
Rajesh Karkera creates a fascinating look at the life of Rahul Gandhi. Sri Lanka marks anniversary of LTTE's fall
Under international flak for his handling of the Tamil issue, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Friday that nations who sympathise with separatism are bound to become the victims of terrorism, as Sri Lanka celebrated with pomp a year of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's military defeat. Exclusive: Why Rahul adds to Congress glory
An exclusive extract from 24, Akbar Road, a new book to be released by Hachette Books India in August, reveals how Rahul Gandhi has introduced a dynamic brand of leadership in the Congress party. Rahul: Why the prince is reluctant to be king
Revamping the Youth Congress and building the party at the grassroots level are positives in Rahul Gandhi's political graph. But on more serious issues facing the country and on foreign policy, his views and leanings are almost unknown. He needs more perspective and experience before he moves on to bigger things. 'Let's hope Rahul gets married this year'
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, Vijaypat Singhania and Shaina NC wish Rahul Gandhi on his birthday. Why it may not flood in Mumbai this monsoon
"It is our aim that in the near future streets of Mumbai witnesses minimum or zero flooding during the rains," said Aseem Gupta, additional commissioner for BMC. Delhi honour killing: What happened that night
Here, in the mosquito infested lanes of Swarup Nagar in north-east Delhi, Asha Saini, 19, and her boyfriend Yogesh, 20, met a gory end at the hands of her family. On Sunday night, the girl's family beat up the couple and electrocuted them at her uncle Omprakash's flat in the sparsely populated colony. Israel to ease land blockade on Gaza Strip
Israel on Thursday agreed to ease its land blockade on the Gaza Strip in a bid to quell mounting international criticism following a bloody sea raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Hamas-run territory. Mecca Masjid blast: 2 RSS men remanded in custody
The long-pending investigations into the three-year-old Mecca Masjid blast case on Thursday moved forward with the Central Bureau of Investigation producing two suspects RSS pracharak Devender Gupta and his accomplice Lokesh Sharma in a special CBI court in Hyderabad. Video: First day at school
Rediff IShare begins a new video series where we capture important moments from Indian lives. Mumbai downpour: Water-logging, chaos, fun
Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Wednesday disrupting normal life in India's financial capital Heavy rains leave Mumbai water-logged, limping
Suburban rail traffic between Dadar and Matunga was temporarily halted after a tree fell over a Dadar-bound train. Local trains on the Western and harbour lines are also running late by 10 to 15 minutes. How 1984 changed the lives of women in Bhopal
The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 changed an entire generation of women in Bhopal to shed their social inhibitions and fight for a righteous cause. Despite opposition from a conservative society. 'Obama's visit may lead to new era'
In an exclusive interview to Rediff.com, US Assistant Secretary of State Robert O Blake speaks about President Obama's trip to India, the recent US-India Strategic Dialogue and the fate of the nuclear liability bill. Second batch of stranded Indians reaches Bishkek
The Indians, many of them students, are trapped in Kyrgyzstan's southern Osh city, which has been ripped by street fighting and arson. Why is Kyrgyzstan burning ?
The bloody riots that have engulfed the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan have had an unexpected fall out, a 100 indian students who are studying in Osh, the country's second largest city are trapped. India to have another neighbour with N-arms?
India faces the imminent prospect of another nuclear weapons country as its neighbour, as reports in the media indicate that Myanmar, which is on the eastern border, might have embarked on an atomic weapons programme. Gen next come to the fore in America
Gen next come to the fore in America Festivals of Punjab come to Chicago
The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago collaborated with the Chicago Children's Museum to organize 'Passport to the World: India Festival Celebrations' at Navy Pier on May 16. 'Our country has failed to give us justice'
Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore speaks to the survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy, who recount their tales of horror after chief judicial magistrate Mohan P Tiwari gave his verdict on June 7, after a tortuous 25-year fight for justice. Ready to face legal action in India: SL minister
Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda, whose visit as part of presidential delegation has come under controversy following reports that he is a proclaimed offender in India, on Thursday said all political leaders were pardoned as per the Indo-Sri Lanka pact but maintained that he was prepared to face legal action, if any. Indians the third largest immigrant group in US
The United States is home to about 1.6 million Indian origin people, making them the third-largest immigrant group in the country after Mexicans and Filipino, a Washington-based think tank has said. American Desi, a new show on Rediff IShare
Matthew Schneeberger launches American Desi, a new show on Rediff IShare. Images: India among world's least peaceful nations
New Zealand has acquired the distinction of being the world's most peaceful nation for the second year running, according to the Global Peace Index. Uttam's take: Waiting for the monsoon
After a week's delay due to Cyclone Phet, the south-west monsoon finally restarted on its course on Monday, according to the India Meteorological Department. Images: It's goodbye for Delhi's 'tonga' rides
In the old quarters of Delhi, the sound of hoofs that was synonymous with the city's colonial charm is set to fade away on a sour note. The state government plans to pull the tonga off the streets in an attempt to decongest the heavy traffic in the city. 8 killed in attack on NATO convoy near Islamabad
Heavily armed militants on Wednesday attacked trucks carrying supplies to North Altantic Treaty Organisation and US forces in Afghanistan, killing eight persons and gutting nearly 50 vehicles on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital Hyderabad's fish prasadam attracts millions
Hyderabad's famous Goud family started distributing "fish-prasadam" on Tuesday evening coinciding with the onset of Mirgasirkarti or monsoon season in Andhra Pradesh. Image: Inside the horror that is Union Carbide
Rediff.com's Prasanna Zore visits ground zero at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. Image: The two lawyers who will represent Kasab
Two senior criminal lawyers were on Tuesday appointed by the Bombay high court to represent convicted Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab in his appeal against the death sentence in the 26/11 attacks case India did not compel us to stop the war: Lanka
Sri Lanka's new Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris, who visited Washington, DC last month, feels the tensions that existed in the United States and Sri Lanka during the height of the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, when Colombo refused to acquiesce to a ceasefire, have been repaired. Images: World's top 10 military spenders
World's top 10 military spenders Flying dinosaur fossils found in Madhya Pradesh
Nemicolopterus Crypticus, or six-feet tall 'flying dinosaurs', ruled the skies 22 crore years ago. Sixty five crore years after they were wiped off the face of the earth, a team of scientists has found the fossilised remains of these winged lizards in Patai village in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, near Narmada river. Found! Warren Anderson in $900,000 luxury home
Journalist Shakti Bhatt located former Union Carbide Chairman Warren Anderson's luxury home in New York, declared unknown by the American and Indian governments, in India Abroad, the newspaper owned by Rediff.com, back in September 2002. As a Bhopal court convicted eight people on Monday, June 7, for the worst-ever industrial disaster, we reproduce the global scoop US plans to replace drones with manned aircraft
In the wake of wide scale criticism and warnings by a top United Nations official over the use of unmanned drones to target militants in Pakistan's lawless tribal region and other troubled areas across the world, the US is now planning to use manned spy aircrafts in the 'war on terror.' Bhopal case: Accused get only 2 years in jail
Twenty-six years after one of the worst industrial disasters in the world -- the Bhopal gas tragedy -- claimed thousands of lives, a local court found all the eight accused guilty of criminal negligence in the case. New Japan PM pledges close ties with US
Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday promised United States President Barack Obama that he will make "strenuous efforts" to implement a bilateral pact to relocate a contentious American Marine base and deepen their military alliance to tackle global and regional challenges. Indian American girl becomes Spelling Bee champion
Anamika Veeramani, 14, an eighth grader from Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, Ohio won the National Spelling Bee on Friday. Are Manipuris less important than Kashmiris?
New Delhi's inaction on the grim situation in Manipur, whose people are facing untold hardship due to the economic blockade by Naga rebels, is shocking and can have disastrous consequences for India, warns Colonel (Dr) Anil Athale (retd) 'Publicity is oxygen for Maoists'
'Unless they create some spectacular event people don't take cognisance of them. So they will select targets that will give them publicity and prominence,' says Lt Gen D B Shekatkar (retd). India indispensable to the future US seeks: Obama
Asserting that India is a rising and responsible global power, United States President Barack Obama on Thursday said he firmly believed that the relationship between the two counties will define their partnership in the 21st century London's Portrait Gallery showcases Mughal art
London's National Portrait Gallery has mounted an exhibition, running till June, titled The Indian Portrait offering 60 portraits painted between 1560 and 1860 --- of Mughal emperors, holy men, courtiers and Europeans living in India -- drawn from collections in the US and Europe. Taking Tibet to the world
Makers of the documentary The Sun Behind The Clouds see light in a hopeless situation, finds Aseem Chhabra. Embarrassed by the footage of Chinese brutality and suppression of the 2008 uprising in Tibet, China requested that the film be withdrawn. Videos: Arundhati Roy on romanticising violence
Writer-activist Arundhati Roy was in Mumbai on Wednesday to speak on 'War on people' at the Marathi Patrakar Sangh. Image: 'Go green' is Lok Sabha speaker's mantra
Lok Speaker Meira Kumar completed one year as the speaker of the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Growth of India 'is much in US' interests'
United States' Assistant Secretary Robert Blake on Wednesday marked the beginning of the US-India Cabinet-level Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC, and discussed bilateral ties and issues like counter- terrorism, education, agriculture, trade and climate change. In his opening message, Blake said that US President Barack Obama feels that it's very much in American strategic interests to help advance the growth of India on the world stage. Obama, Julia Roberts to attend Krishna's reception
Actress Julia Roberts and director Steven Spielberg would be among the chosen few who will grace a gala reception in honour of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and the Indian delegation in Washington on Thursday evening. Video: Forces seize solar missiles in J&K
Security forces seize solar missiles in Valley. A squad of Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police spotted these solar missiles, positioned for an offensive action in Gujjarpati forest area of Kupwara district. Images: Trinamool demolishes Left, humbles Cong
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress inflicted a crushing blow to the ruling Left front in the civic polls on Wednesday, capturing the prestigious Kolkata Municipal Corporation and bagging 36 other municipalities in the "semi-finals" ahead of next year's assembly elections. Al Gore, wife separate after 40 years
The couple's fairytale romance began in a Boston high school when Al Gore asked her out a day after the prom – which Tipper had attended with another date. He proposed to her on the banks of the Charles river, and they got married in 1970. Burning the midnight oil on access to Headley: US
"We are burning the midnight oil, working our fingers to the bone," he said, to ensure access to Headley for India, as it was "so important to India, the Indian people, the Indian government." Pix: Rains bring respite to sweltering Hyderabad
If the news of monsoon setting over Kerala a day in advance was not good enough for ears, Hyderabadis tasted the first bountiful splash of the season on Tuesday, brining cheer to the city that was almost roasted by the unprecedented heat waves. Unveiled: Rs 109 crore Hindu temple in London
A sprawling Shee Sanatan Hindu Mandir, the new Hindu temple at Wembley, finally opened on Monday following 14 years of construction. The temple is believed to have cost more than 16 million UK pounds or Rs 109 crore. 'The silent majority of Muslims are not Wahhabi'
'The alliance between the mullahs of the Wahhabi Al-e Shaikh and the rulers of Saudi Arabia, the Al-e Saud, is like the oppressive nexus between the Christian Church and the monarchy in medieval Europe. It is proving to be a curse for Muslims.' Pics: World condemns Israel's midsea mayhem
United Nations members and officials came out in strong condemnation of Israel's attack on a humanitarian flotilla headed to the Gaza strip, with its chief Ban Ki Moon seeking a 'full explanation' from the country Gandhi's first experiment with truth marks 100 yrs
As the place where Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi began his famous experiments with truth, the Tolstoy Farm is a living example of his legacies that can give the present generation lessons in humanity. May 2010 | April 2010 | March 2010 | February 2010