'The BJP politics of appropriating icons from its ideological adversaries could only be a desperate attempt to extend the Jat-Muslim divide in Uttar Pradesh. Why this desperation when it can comfortably get votes on the plank of economic development?'

Its time the RBI, govt pushes reforms to boost global investment

On a day when the sixth anniversary of Mumbai attack was being observed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation leaders that India feels the 'endless pain' of lost lives and urged the eight- nation grouping to combat terrorism unitedly.

'Just close your eyes and think that you can do it,' Nathalia Kaur tells Rajul Hegde/ Rediff.com

Kapil Sharma, the anchor of Comedy Nights with Kapil, is the hottest property on Indian television today

For 20 years, the stock market headed nowhere, and this has created permanent aversion.

Michael Clarke's fitness for the Test series against India fading fast.

In an exclusive chat with Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi, Moritz says he wants to make football history in India, that he doesn't regret not having a vacation this season and how he gels with his Indian club mates.

Liverpool target Chelsea after midweek tinkering, while third-placed Manchester City, whose hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stage were dealt a severe blow in a humiliating 2-1 home defeat by CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, travel south to face struggling Queens Park Rangers.

The last seven Indian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates were released October 30. Chirag Bahri, Indian coordinator for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme that aids piracy survivors and their families, speaks to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com on how the near-impossible was achieved.

Upstaged by the swanky malls in town, both M G Road and Brigade Road have lost their "happening" status

Delayed project delivery and unrealistically high real estate prices, which developers are unwilling to lower despite piled up inventories, have adversely hit the sector.

South Africa paceman Dale Steyn rates co-hosts New Zealand as a "dark horse" to win next year's cricket World Cup, while one-day rivals Australia are "annoying."

Haresh Pandya picks his all-time best Indian Test team which is packed with some exciting stroke-players, a couple of heavy-scorers known to play monumental innings, some superb spinners, a world-class all-rounder and a top-notch wicketkeeper. Check out his list and then create your own Dream India XI, and share it with family and friends!

South Korea's Asian Games cricket experiment ended in defeat to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, but after their collection of baseball players and weekend enthusiasts took eight wickets off the Twenty20 world champions, coach Julian Fountain believes the sport could truly flourish here.

'The threat that India faces and the threat the United States faces is not just to the homeland, but to our people and to our institutions wherever they may be.' In an exclusive conversation with Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com, US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal outlines the importance of Prime Minister Modi's visit for America.

Four more witnesses listed by industrialist Ness Wadia, accused of molesting, abusing Bollywood actress Preity Zinta during an Indian Premiere League match on May 30 at Wankhede Stadium, have testified before the investigators, denying any arguments between the estranged couple, the police said on Thursday.

'Both reflect prejudice and short-sightedness peculiar to Mr Modi's way of thinking.'

Nanotechnology has remarkable applications in a variety of spheres, including agriculture, animal husbandry and natural resources management.

Naresh Chandra, former cabinet secretary, diplomat and well-known strategic thinker, tries to explain what the Modi government is up to and assesses what will work and what may not work and why. He spoke to Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com, also, on diplomatic issues.

After Force, John Abraham and Nishikant Kamat collaborate on Rocky Handsome.

As the standoff over eviction of Campa Cola society residents stretched into the third day, Mumbai civic officials today said they would not hesitate to use force if they are not allowed to enter the complex to cut water and power supply to the illegal flats.

So 52 games have already been played in the Indian Premier League this season. Here are the Most Valuable players and some random observations by Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle.

'Both nations have a common problem: A rampaging, jingoistic and hostile China which is making substantial territorial claims. In the long run, Japan and India are going to be the victims of Chinese aggression -- so they might as well hang together to contain China,' argues Rajeev Srinivasan.

'As long as you are talking about Adivasis in Bastar or the brutalisation of the State nobody raises an eyebrow. But the moment you talk about Kashmiri Pandits -- after all, we were a religious minority in Kashmir -- and how they being in a minority were targeted it doesn't go down well and no one speaks about it.' 'That is the saddest and most ironical aspect of this whole tragedy,' Rahul Pandita, a Kashmiri Pandit and author of Our Moon Has Blood Clots, a book that chronicles the plight of his community in the strife-torn Kashmir Valley, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

Under threat from the Maoists, and jailed by the police, AAP's Soni Sori plunges into the election for all she holds dear. Aman Sethi reports

Australia were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field too, dropping catches that highlighted their road-weariness, while death bowling remained a major issue as their glorious summer of Test cricket, made memorable by their Ashes win and series victory in South Africa, fizzled out in Bangladesh..

Interview with V Balakrishnan, Former CFO and board member of Infosys and AAP leader

The only possible solution to the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan is to create a situation where the "lines while in existence" become "irrelevant", Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in an interview published on Sunday.

As Japan beefs up its defences against China, both New Delhi and Tokyo seem to have decided to re-energise their relationship to ensure a strategic balance in Asia. Japan's Prime Minister Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is the guest of honour at this year's Republic Day, will arrive in India on Saturday. He will also be the first ever Japanese dignitary to grace the occasion.

As Japan beefs up its defences against China, both New Delhi and Tokyo seem to have decided to re-energise their relationship to ensure a strategic balance in Asia. It is a clear signal that they may be ready to work together in containing if not confronting China, says Nitin Gokhale.

Both India and South Korea will use President Park Geun-hye's visit to unveil a comprehensive programme for mutual benefit and impacting on regional security environment, says Srikanth Kondapalli.

The Indian Spring represented by Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign, which has culminated in the Aam Aadmi Party's impressive electoral debut in New Delhi, began around the same time as the Arab Spring in 2011 but they led to different outcomes in India and the Arab world, says Ramesh Ramachandran.

Olympic champion Yang Hak-seon, who vaulted South Korea gymnastics into the limelight by winning gold at the 2012 London Games, has flipped out at plans by Hanyang University to disband its gymnastics team, fearing it could harm the sport's growth.

South Africa's skipper A B de Villiers is a satisfied man as his team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against World No 1 India. And AB de Villiers felt that his team ought to be proud of this achievement.

Australian captain Michael Clarke has dismissed the idea of being driven into retirement by a degenerative back problem and believes he could play three more Ashes series over the next five years.

After South Africa were penalised five runs for ball tampering against Pakistan in the second Test in Dubai on Friday, AB de Villiers insisted the Proteas were not cheats.

The jury is still out on whether the Obama-Sharif summit managed to repair the trust deficit and mutual suspicions. But if pleasantries and cordiality was the measure of this summit, it receives a resounding A+ grade, says Aziz Haniffa

East Bengal's hopes of becoming the first Indian football club to enter the AFC Cup final were dashed after they were beaten 3-0 by a far superior Kuwait Sports Club in the second leg semi-final, in Kolkata, on Tuesday.

While China is bigger and feels mightier at the moment, Beijing's rulers would be well advised not to be tempted to provoke India, for that would only trigger a chain reaction around the world that would not serve anyone's interests, says Sanjaya Baru.