Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed India's expectation to Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that Colombo will fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation and conduct provincial council elections. The issue was discussed during wide-ranging talks between Modi and Dissanayake. Modi also met with Tamil leaders from Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, reaffirming India's commitment to supporting the community's well-being. The Tamil community has been advocating for the implementation of the 13th Amendment, which provides for devolution of power. Modi expressed hope that Sri Lanka will fully implement its constitution and conduct provincial council elections.
After Chennai, it is Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli, that are emerging as manufacturing hubs. Coimbatore is India's top Tier-II city in terms of the number of GCCs, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield.
An island holiday is a package deal -- sun, sand, pristine beaches, isolation. Their location makes them off the beaten track. And their distance from the mainland ensures that the pace of life is slower or different. Go island hopping with Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com as he shows you some of the prettiest isles of India.
What transpired during that drive was one of the most compelling investment pitches made by an Indian state in decades.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr S Ramadoss has announced taking up the complete reins of the party, relegating his president son Anbumani to the role of working president. The move, announced ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Chennai, comes in anticipation of the 2026 Assembly election.
Former India speedster Varun Aaron has praised Gujarat Titans' young opener Sai Sudharsan's exceptional performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, saying he has a very bright future ahead of him.
Electronics manufacturing services firm Dixon Technologies is setting up a Rs 1,000-crore facility near Chennai and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday. The factory, which will come up at Oragadam in neighbouring Kancheepuram district, is expected to generate 5,000 jobs in the region, the state government said.
... hit five 50-plus scores in a row at a particular venue.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling that state governors must give assent to bills passed by state assemblies, calling it a 'historic' victory for all state governments in India. The court's decision came after the Governor of Tamil Nadu, R N Ravi, withheld assent to several bills passed by the state legislature. The court found that the governor's actions were in violation of the Indian Constitution, which mandates that governors must act on the advice of the council of ministers. The ruling is seen as a significant step towards strengthening the federal structure of India.
Telugu star Allu Arjun and Tamil director Atlee are all set to collaborate on a film, backed by the production banner Sun Pictures.
Since the IPKF's withdrawal from Sri Lanka in March 1990, the LTTE's once-powerful influence in Tamil Nadu has faded.
The All India Football Federation decided to form an eight-member task force to look into the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) negotiations with its commercial partner Football Sports Development Ltd
Hill stations are dotted with old military towns or cantonments which can set you off on toy trains, chimney cottages and pine trees.
The comedian has failed to appear before the Mumbai police for questioning despite three summons issued to him.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi can no longer serve as chancellor of state-run universities, a decision welcomed by the ruling DMK party. The court's judgment stems from a long-standing dispute between the state government and the governor over the assent of 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The DMK alleges that the governor had obstructed the smooth functioning of universities by delaying appointments and other critical matters. The judgment paves the way for the Tamil Nadu government to appoint new chancellors for its universities, effectively removing the governor's influence in higher education.
Sri Lanka has released 14 Indian fishermen as a special gesture, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for resolving the issue with a "humane approach." The fishermen issue figured prominently during talks between Prime Minister Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday. The fishermen issue is a contentious matter in India-Sri Lanka ties, with several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel using force against Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait. Modi stressed the need for a humane approach and the immediate release of the fishermen and their boats.
The newly inaugurated Pamban Bridge in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, is designed to withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the 1964 disaster that significantly damaged the old bridge. The new bridge features a vertical lift spanner and is built to withstand wind speeds of 230 kmph and considerable seismic loading, according to a senior official from the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The bridge's construction incorporated several safety protocols, including a seated lift spanner and girders positioned well above sea level, ensuring minimal risk from high tides and cyclones.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench will hear petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, on April 16. The petitions, including those by politicians and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, were filed in the top court challenging the validity of the newly-enacted law. The Centre has filed a caveat in the apex court, seeking a hearing before any order is passed.
A chance meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar has sparked a political storm, with opposition parties accusing the National Conference of laying out a red carpet for the BJP leader in the aftermath of the Waqf Amendment Act. While NC sources termed the interaction as a purely coincidental encounter, opposition parties like the PDP and Peoples' Conference condemned the meeting, accusing the NC of surrendering to the BJP. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed by Parliament last week, aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
Banu Mushtaq's "Heart Lamp" is the first Kannada title to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025. The collection of short stories, translated from Kannada to English by Deepa Bhasthi, tells stories of encroaching modernity and the lives of Muslim women in southern India. The judges praised Mushtaq's "witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating" style of writing.
The opposition Peoples' Democratic Party and Peoples' Conference targeted the ruling National Conference over the meeting, and accused it of surrendering to the Bharatiya Janata Party without even a pretence over the passage of the Waqf act.
The Supreme Court of India will likely hear a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 on April 15. The Act, which came into force on April 8, has been met with widespread criticism from various stakeholders, including politicians, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. They argue that the law is discriminatory and violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. The petitions allege that the amendments give the government more control over the administration of Waqf, effectively sidelining the Muslim minority from managing their own religious endowments.
Unless Governor Ravi or the Union of India moves in appeal, seeking a hearing by a constitutional Bench, this is where it all will have to end, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme court fixed a timeline for Governor to act on bills passed by the state legislature as it pulled up Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for reserving 10 bills for President's consideration, saying it was against the constitutional provisions.
Shiv Sena functionary Rahool Kanal has claimed that BookMyShow has removed stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from its platform following protests from the party. Kanal, the social media in-charge of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, thanked BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani for "keeping its portal clean and keeping such artist out of the list of pure entertainment." BookMyShow has not commented on the matter. Kanal was booked along with Shiv Sainiks for allegedly vandalising the studio where Kamra had performed and alluded to Shinde while making a traitor jibe, which snowballed into a major row.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 1.5 crore in cash from the premises of a chit fund company owned by Gokulam Gopalan, one of the producers of the Malayalam movie "L2: Empuraan", in connection with foreign exchange law violations. The searches were conducted at locations in Kozhikode, Kerala and Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The ED alleged that the company collected subscription to chit funds from persons residing outside India without due permission and violated regulations framed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Former Kerala minister M A Baby was elected as the CPI(M) general secretary at the 24th party congress in Madurai. Baby, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998, has been a member of the Politburo since 2012. He succeeds Sitaram Yechury, who passed away last year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pamban sea bridge, providing rail link between Rameswaram island and the mainland and flagged off the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service. The bridge is India's first vertical sea-lift bridge, spanning 2.08 kilometers, and includes a 72.5-meter-long vertical lift span that can be raised up to 17 meters, allowing the smooth passage of large ships while ensuring seamless train operations. Built at a cost of over Rs 550 crore, the bridge features stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade paint, and fully welded joints, enhancing durability while reducing maintenance requirements. The bridge is a remarkable blend of tradition and technology.
"L2: Empuraan", the second part of the "Lucifer" movie, a trilogy planned by the Prithviraj-Mohanlal team, has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of right-wing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots.
The Congress's second AICC session in Gujarat post-Independence is being held on the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's party presidency and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
While others battled the sun, Natarajan stayed cool as a cucumber - proving once again that it helps to be a Chennai boy when playing in Chennai.
'The new Waqf bill sows the seed for conflict in every town and village of India.'
Many states are realising that hosting mega events puts the spotlight on them and raises their profile.
The Kerala police were the most sensitised to the rights of those arrested while that of Jharkhand and Gujarat the least.
Sai Sudharsan, a rising star, playfully dubs GT 'Gujarat Tamilians'.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has written an open letter to BookMyShow requesting the online ticketing platform to either not delist him or to hand over the contact information of audience members he has earned through his solo shows over the years. The letter comes days after Shiv Sena claimed BookMyShow had taken Kamra off the sale and artists list from its platform amid ongoing controversy around his 'traitor' jibe against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced that the state's Assembly resolution seeking NEET exemption, which was sent for Presidential assent, has been declined by the Centre. Stalin termed the rejection as a "dark chapter in federalism" and accused the Centre of disregarding the will of the Tamil Nadu people. He also announced an all-political party meeting on April 9 to discuss the issue further.
'In today's political spectrum, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party that always says, nation first.'
Action, romance, comedy, it's raining masala entertainment on OTT this week.
© 2025 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances