Pix: When Venky, Aamir, Rahman took centre stage
Nobel laureate of Indian origin Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, noted theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi were on Wednesday conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi. Curfew in Hyderabad to be relaxed on Thursday
The three day-old curfew in the sensitive old city of Hyderabad will be relaxed for the first time on Thursday for two hours in the morning, city police commissioner A K Khan said. Exclusive! Anti-Naxal chief speaks
'Just because we haven't reached out, the Naxalites have come and taken over these places. A vacuum cannot exist, someone comes and fills it up and they have done that.' Vijay Raman, Special Director General, Anti Naxal Task Force, in an exclusive interview. Pix: New Army chief trained Bangladeshis in 1971
Gen Singh, who has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations and till lately was the GOC-in-C of Kolkata-based Eastern Command, was handed over charge by Gen Kapoor at a ceremony in the South Block in New Delhi. 'Absenteeism, corruption have weakened India'
'The capability of the Indian State to implement programmes and policies is weak -- and in many domains it is obviously not improving. In police, tax collection, education, health, power, water supply -- in nearly every routine service -- there is rampant absenteeism, indifference, incompetence, and corruption,' says Professor Lant Pritchett. Hyderabad tense, Class X exams postponed
A day after curfew was imposed in eight more localities, tension prevailed in trouble-torn areas in Hyderabad that witnessed the death of two persons and injuries to 90 others in communal violence since Saturday. Pix: India's attack helicopter takes first flight
Already a year late, and facing criticism for having gone several hundred kilograms overweight, the LCH had much to prove. Hyderabad violence claims one more life
With communal violence spreading to many more areas of Hyderabad city and miscreants killing another man on Tuesday, the authorities have clamped curfew in the limits of eight more police stations. Hold resignation, Mahashweta tells Kabir Suman
In a late evening development on Tuesday, Magsasay award winner writer and social activist Mahashweta Devi told singer-turned-politician Kabir Suman to 'hold' his 'written resignation from the Trinamool Congress and the Lok Sabha for two days, for the sake of Lalgarh -- we want to discuss with you.' Understanding the cult of the female bomber
In the last eight years, women suicide bombers have carried out nearly 150 attacks across the world. Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa analyses why using women to carry out suicide attacks is being increasingly preferred by outfits like the Al Qaeda and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. Thousands take a dip on Kumbh's last full moon day
March 30 is the auspicious day for the Chaitra Purnima Snan (religious bath), and lakhs of devotees have been making their way to the relatively small ghat in this holy city since the wee hours. 'I should not have entered politics'
'Belonging to a party is painful.' Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman on why he is a misfit in politics. I am the only sadhu accepted by Muslims: Ramdev
Baba Ramdev runs a multi-crore empire, owns a Scottish island and is now entering politics - his billion-plus TV viewers give him the confidence he can pull it off. Female bombers strike Moscow metro, 38 dead
The explosions termed by authorities as a terror attack occurred within 50 minutes of each other at Moscow metro's oldest Red Line stations that are junctions for transfer to other lines. Images: Soaking in the Kumbh Mela frenzy
The Purna Kumbha Mela, one of the grandest religious fairs in the last few years, is a less boisterous and glamorous affair than its big brother, the Maha Kumbh Mela held at Prayag. Ensure no meddling by neighbours: Obama to Karzai
US President Barack Obama has asked his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai to act decisively against corruption and provide good governance to ensure a more prosperous and secure Afghanistan that "is not subject to meddling by its neighbours". I didn't go to sea link uninvited: Bachchan
Breaking his silence for the first time since getting embroiled in a controversy related to the inauguration of the Bandra Worli sea link, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in an interview to CNN-IBN has hit out at all his critics for his alleged support to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. 'Is Narendra Modi sahab a coward?'
Three voices of victims who survived the Gulbarg Society and Naroda Patiya massacre pleading to and accusing the Gujarat chief minister of various criminal charges to appear before SIT. Pix: Arjun tank wins the battle for supremacy
India's home-built Arjun tank has emerged a conclusive winner from its showdown with the Russian T-90. 'US had two separate policies for Pak'
Shuja Nawaz, arguably the most authoritative expert on the Pakistani military, assesses the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue. China showing tendency to project unreasonableness
'We think we are ready to have a practical, rational, logical kind of discussion whereas on the other side there is this kind of defensiveness,'says a senior Indian diplomat. Images: A million tulips bloom in Kashmir
The garden, nestled in the foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range overlooking the world famous Dal Lake, has 1.7 million tulips this unusually hot and dry spring. Video: 24 die in Kolkata building fire
Eight more bodies were recovered from the 150-year-old heritage building in upscale Park Street, raising the toll in the devastating fire that swept the building on Tuesday to 24, fire brigade sources said on Wednesday. 'Sonia Gandhi would have been a housewife if...'
In Part-I of an exclusive interview to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, Dr Ramachandra Guha, in his own masterly ways, explains the making of Congress party, its historic journey and, deciphers the nuances of its core philosophy. Pix: Kolkata building fire claims 16 lives
A massive fire broke out in an old multi-storeyed building on the busy Park street area in Kolkata on Tuesday, injuring several people and leaving scores trapped. Four people were killed in the fire. Former Nepal PM Koirala passes away
Nepal's five-time Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who had been unwell for several months, died here today after multiple organ failure. 'Politics was not my cup of tea'
Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman, who has opposed Operation Greenhunt, discusses his passions and politics in a lively interview. Join the debate on the nuclear liability bill
While the cap on liability is lower than in several other countries, few producers, including those in India, will supply nuclear power equipment without such a bill -- raising the caps is an obvious solution. Video: Sambhaji Bhagat, the bard of small things
Bhagat's songs are peppered with no holds barred anti-establishment lyrics. The words are sharp but mellifluous in his tongue and are meant to cut through the ignorance of his people. He has not even spared his initial mentors -- the right wing outfits for their regressive religious ideologies. Indian-American among Intel's brightest youths
Akhil Mathew, an 18-year-old resident of Madison, New Jersey, on Tuesday night won the third place in the Intel Science Talent Search, America's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition honouring the next generation of American innovators. India and China world's biggest arms shoppers
While China's arms imports accounted for nine per cent of the global defence sales, the same figure for India was seven per cent Maharashtra jubilates on 'Gudi Padwa'
'Gudi Padwa', the first day of the Chaitra month, and New Year's Day in Maharashtra was celebrated with traditional fervour and pomp all across the state on Tuesday. Pix: Stunning stockpile of Maoists deadly weaponry
The material kept in 26 gunny bags included spare parts sufficient to make 3000 hand grenades, six rocket launchers, land mines and materials used in the preparation of pressure mines and some ammunition. Shooting Sunderbans with a message
It's still not too late to save one of nature's marvels, photographer Peter Caton tells Vaihayasi Pande Daniel Chennai clinic eases dialysis woes
Dialysis is a scary word to most of us. It signifies that both the kidneys have failed and our blood needs to be cleaned by an external agent. It conjures up images of financial difficulties and we have often heard people say, "It's a rich man's disease, a poor man would die as the costs are prohibitive." Af-Pak situation, a concern to entire world: Putin
Russian Federation Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday expressed concern over terror groups operating from within Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying it was a threat to the entire world. 'The biggest threat from Lashkar is to India'
In his book Lashkar-e-Taiba, From 9/11 to Mumbai, author Stephen Tankel points out that the 60-hour terror siege on Mumbai had catapulted the LeT to international notoriety. Women in Parliament: Rwanda, Afghan beat India
India, the largest democracy, lags much behind other countries including its neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan when it comes to participation of the fair sex in politics. Nigeria violence leaves 500 killed
A fresh round of violence in the communally sensitive northern Nigerian city of Jos has killed more than 500 persons and displaced dozens. Images: Winners of India Abroad Awards 2009
Meet the distinguished winners of the India Abroad awards 2009. Images: India's worst religious stampedes
India has, in the past, seen a number of stampedes in which hundreds have died. We take a look at the worst of the lot. Michael Foot, India's longtime friend, passes away
Former Labour Party leader Michael Foot, a friend of India who supported Indian independence movement steadfastly, died in London late Wednesday. He was 96. Pix: Hyd air show turns tragic; 3 killed in crash
Two pilots and a civilian were killed after a naval aircraft crashed on a nearby residential building near Begumpet airport during an air show in Hyderabad on Wednesday morning, city police said. 'Everyone's afraid of discussing Kashmir publicly'
'This is a great myth that there was never mediation over Kashmir. There was always private mediation. The talk of China mediating is just propaganda from both sides. It is irrelevant,' says British journalist Adrian Levy in Part-II of an interview with rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt. Centre not in favour of 'Greater Nagaland'
Rebel Naga leaders, who met the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, to discuss the issue of sovereignty of Nagaland were disappointed when the Centre gave its nod to autonomy, but said no to the demand for a 'Greater Nagaland.' Images: India celebrates Holi with vigour
Holi, the festival of colours, was celebrated acroos the country and the world, with great enthusiasm and fervour. February 2010