King Thibaw, who was crowned in 1878, ruled Burma (now Myanmar) for seven years with his Queen Supayalat. It was a time when the royal family was treated like demigods; they lived richly in the Golden Palace in Mandalay.

India needs to be aware of the potentially catastrophic implications of the collapse of governing authority in Pakistan. A boost to fundamentalist forces in India's neighbourhood will have some serious consequences for the utility of nuclear deterrence in the subcontinent, says Harsh V Pant.

During 2013 and 2014, we will see both 65 and 50 to the dollar.

In a movie supposedly realistic, Dibakar Banerjee cannot handle politics except as a joke, with a party named 'India Bane Pardes'.

Rediff.com brings you a combined update of the effect of Thursday's Bharat bandh, called by the National Democratic Alliance, Left parties and Samajwadi Party to protest against the latest hike in petrol prices, from various parts of the country.

The women who unburdened themselves of their anguish on television won't win a gift hamper sponsored by a corporate; but if it could make us pause and think, Aamir Khan's effort will not have been wasted, says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.

The key to fighting Maoists lies in isolating them in urban areas and containing them in forested areas, says Sonali Ranade

As politicians dismantle the levers of power, whether it is subsidies, allotment of land or spectrum, etc, they fear the prospect of losing the power of patronage much more than the power to extract rents therefrom, says Sonali Ranade

United States lawmakers feel that India had also failed to use its non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council to demonstrate why it should be a permanent member

It's not enough that they're the best-dressed, they want to dress you up too! Here are 20 famous personalities who have decided to make their presence felt in fashion by designing their own clothing lines.

But watch it without making any comparisons.

The question being tossed around is this: Is there a 'method in the madness' being seen in Parliament? Did the Congress choose to take the decision knowing its consequences? asks Neerja Chowdhury.

The West Indies were bowled out for just 61, their second lowest one-day international total, as Bangladesh romped to an eight-wicket win in the third and final match of the series on Tuesday. Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan claimed career best figures of 4-16 as the tourists, sent into bat first in murky overhead conditions, lasted just 22 overs.

A number of younger diplomats have begun to search for the soul of the foreign service, to give its members a sense of belonging and pride, observes former ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

It tries to be a simple film but gets more and more convoluted.

Both Pankaj Kapur and Shahid struggle, going from light and likable to irritating and implausible when the film changes gear from romcom to melodrama.

We see several huge banners of welcome strewn across the city. They are not for Dr Singh. The world's greatest footballer is in town, you see. Rediff.com's Sanchari Bhattacharya, who travelled with the prime minister to Dhaka, provides a lively glimpse of the proceedings

Initial success has prompted telecom companies to hardsell the new service.

Let the specialness of India's old institutions wither away as they take in quota-kids and people with unfamiliar surnames -- for if we are honest, that specialness was built on social exclusivity and little else writes Dhananjay Dhurandhar.

The Left's decline will adversely change the complexion of Indian politics by pushing its centre of gravity further to the right. This would be tragic, says Praful Bidwai.

Akshata Udiaver remembers Anant Pai, the man who made history and mythology interesting for her and millions of other Indian children

With Valentine's Day coming up, we invited readers to share stories of their first loves with us. Here is the first set of responses!

The Tamil movie starts off well, but doesn't quite capitalise on its strengths.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday delivered his State of the Union speech in the US Congress. Here's the transcript:

Sebastian Vettel cocooned himself from distraction, took inspiration from Kimi Raikkonen's astonishing 2007 title comeback and then shed tears of joy on becoming Formula One's youngest champion on Sunday.

Red Giant Movies' and AGS Entertainment's romantic tale is shot with realism. Despite similarities to other rural stories, this Tamil movie works on its own.

The American is another stylish effort by the effortlessly cool George Clooney who is also one of the producers on this movie.

On the occasion of Friendship Day (the first Sunday of August) we invited readers to share how they met their best friend. Here we present the final batch of responses...

The combined Opposition's call for a Bharat Bandh on Monday has brought most of the country to a near standstill. Rediff.com correspondents report from across the country

Yoginder Sikand partakes in an ostentatious Kashmiri wedding.

Though it is being shown only in about a dozen countries abroad, waiting to add more formidable markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan in the coming weeks, it has already grossed an impressive $48 million in three days.

Renu Khator,president, University of Houston, and chancellor of the UH System, looks back at the voices that have shaped her life, and realises that the loudest is her mother's.

Irumbukkottai Murattu Singam is a homage to the Wild Wild West and works for the most part.

Why the recent incident of a radiation leak in New Delhi should not be taken lightly. Gopal Krishna tracks the vicious cycle.

"I do not believe in superstars. For me the only superstar has been Dilip Kumar and he will always be. I don't consider anybody after him as a superstar," said Bollywood actress and MP Jaya Bachchan in New Delhi, while interacting with Indian Women's Press Corps.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi appears to be playing for larger -- and long term -- stakes and the move to provide reservation to women is not bereft of political calculations, writes Neerja Chowdhury

Prasoon Joshi has been making waves in the ad world and Bollywood for a number of years now. But what was it like growing up? Read on...

Spots you should avoid on Valentine's Day and suggestions for where you could go.

Readers share their favourite Valentine's Day locales. Share yours!

The Tamil movie directed by Venkat Prabhu, is an endless series of gags, jokes and sexual mis-adventures.