There is only one Pele, one Maradona, and there can be only one Messi! The first two names are synonymous with legends, but Messi has still got a lot to prove to join the list of all-time greats. He is a legend in the making. Today, as Messi turns a year older and a lot dearer, expectations go higher. Barca's super kid's birthday coincides with the World Cup and if Argentina wins the World Cup, there couldn't be a better birthday gift for him. Sadly, Argentina's star player hasn't netted a goal yet; still, Messi fans around the world have faith in him. Though he hasn't able to score so far, Messi made some great assists in Argentina's matches against S Korea and Greece. In the match against Greece, we saw Messi glide past the defenders towards Palermo who was there at the right moment to net the ball as Messi's shot rebounded after touching the bar.

Fame is a boon and a curse the same time. Off  the field, it earns you stardom. But even stardom comes with its own share of

Big revolutions start with small ideas. That's what Ratan Tata proved with the introduction of the people's car, Tata Nano.

Ever since Mr Tata conceived the idea of the one lakh car, the Nano managed to grab headlines for some reason or the other, sometimes good and sometimes bad. From the Singur fiasco to spontaneously combusting Nanos, controversy has always been Tata Nano's middle name. Back-to-back incidents of Nanos catching fire have been reported putting a question mark on the safety of the world's cheapest car. Yet, Nano continues to be a fine example of the idiom 'owner's pride and neighbour's envy'.

Forget all that, the latest buzz in the auto world is that Tata has plans for Nano convertible. It all started after an open roof Nano was spotted ferrying visitors inside the automaker's new Sanand factory.

Before jumping to any conclusions, we should consider the practicability of a convertible on Indian roads. Apart from the fact that chopping off the roof might

Wimbledon, the most famous tennis championship, may see Swiss tennis star Roger Federer lift his record seventh title after a tiring outing at the Roland Garros (and a scary opening match at Wimbledon). While Fedex is determined to net his seventh, Oxfam is eyeing the 100,000 pounds that comes with it.

In 2003, Nicholas Newlife from Kidlington staked 1,520-pounds with odds of 66/1 for Federer to win seven Wimbledon titles before 2020. Roger has already won six Wimbledon titles, and a seventh will see the bet produce a payout of 101,840 pounds for Oxfam.

Newlife died in February 2009 leaving the entire estate to Oxfam, which included the outcomes of the series of outstanding bets he had placed with William Hill between 2000 and 2005.

Legendary Pete Sampras has already suggested that Roger Federer could win 10 Wimbledon titles and going by his strong desire, the prediction cannot be termed unrealistic and many 'Nicholases' can afford to place bigger bets.

The Swiss player has

The story goes back to when I was very young. Thirty days after I was born, my parents took me to the ancestral home in Calicut, and there I stayed in the care of my grandparents till age eight. That was when my parents figured I was old enough to not be a 'nuisance', a burden to two professionals whose minds were set on developing their respective careers. And so I was taken away from the care of my grandparents, and began living with my parents in Madras.

Neither mom nor dad had much time for me — both worked crazy hours and when they did get home, they were more intent on catching up with each other. Their interaction was largely restricted to pro forma inquiries about my schoolwork, a pat on the head and an exhortation to 'run along and play' — a parental edict I was only too happy to comply with. We are talking seventies here: a time when life was a lot less complicated. We didn't have psychologists prosing on about how childhood neglect would produce warped adults;

With the Football World Cup on everyone's mind and the scintillating finish to the India-Pak ODI reviving a bit of interest in cricket, many of you will be forgiven for forgetting that the world's most anticipated tennis tournament — Wimbledon, just got underway.

Viewers in India can catch the action from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Star Sports from 16:30 IST onwards.

For those of you who want to keep yourself updated about the championship online, here are some picks from across the web:

- In Day One action, defending champion Roger Federer escaped a major upset in his first round match against Columbian Alejandro Falla. Federer is the top seed this year despite losing out on the number one ranking to arch rival Rafael Nadal. In a blast from the past, here's a look at how Fedex ended Pete Sampras' 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon in 2001.

- The Brits are still waiting for a winner (it's been over 70 years now) and this time all hopes lie on Scotsman Andy

The King should be delighted and take pride in his best soldier. But unfortunately this case doesn't apply for the Argentine squad - where the greatest player in football history and the greatest player of the times come together - Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

On field, there are many things that unite both - the talent, the agility, instinct, and how they dribble past the defenders; one can draw lots of parallels here. In fact,we can see a carbon copy of Maradona in Messi. Strange it might seem, but there are more things other than their short stature that unites Messi and Maradona. In 2007, with disbelief in its eyes, the world watched Messi replicating Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' against the Spanish club Getafe. Is it mere co-incidence or a miracle that the touches (13), duration (13 seconds), and the number of opponents (6) were identical to that of Maradona's?

It doesn't stop here; weeks later, Messi even did a 'Hand of God' goal by punching in a score against

Three Maoists were arrested for attacks on security personnel in the forest areas of Chintalwada in Orissa. This arrest follows just a day after 8 Maoists were killed in the neighbouring state of West Bengal.

The rebels, identified as Budura Padiami, Irma Kabasi and Sarat Behera were involved in several attacks on security personnel including one at Mariwada, he said. They were also involved in an attack on a power house at Balimela and violence during the general elections last year, police said.—ANI

Labelled as the biggest internal security threat, Maoist have been raging a bloody war against the Indian government for years, killing hundreds in the process.

In March this year, write/activist Arundhati Roy enters the naxal hotbed. Here she reads her essay on India's Maoists.

Then there are those taking advantage of people's fear of naxals. A group posing as Maoists spread terror and extort money from villagers.

Here is a chronology post 26/11 of major attacks by Maoists on armed

Much has been said and written about the terror and the threats India face from militant outfits. Our politicos have been gung-ho about how India has been effective when it comes to averting terror strikes post 26/11.

But, our leaders have totally ignored the threat that we face from within, i.e., the menace we have been facing from the advocates of Maoism who are in the process of replicating China's infamous 'Cultural Revolution' in India. In spite of regular attacks by Kisenji and Co, Indian politicos are paying no heed to the Maoist menace.

What is more shocking was that after the Dantewada attack that killed at least 44 people near Dantewada, Home minister P Chidambaram made fresh offers to hold talks with Naxals if they suspended violence even for just 72 hours and said that there is a need to re-visit the anti-Maoist policy.

But, why is the Indian state taking so long to take a stand against the Maoists who have gone on a killing spree and it does not matter to them