Jan. 7: It was man versus animal in our urban jungle. Both lost. | Read»

New Delhi, Jan. 18: Four young Ukrainian women braved sub-zero temperatures today to go topless and climb the balcony of the Indian envoy’s residence in Kiev with placards pronouncing “Ukraine is not a bordello” and “We are not prostitutes”. | Read»

New Delhi, Dec. 31: Good riddance, 2011, be gone for good. To a year that left him looped in the pit of the worst crises of his political life, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today delivered a parting kick, saying it was a time he did not even wish to dwell on. | Read»

Jhargram, Jan. 12: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today paraded bureaucrats to showcase the achievements of her government and reply to critics, throwing down a dare to “touch me if you can” for good measure. | Read»

Calcutta, Jan. 2: The dam burst today. | Read»

Soon after the general elections of 2004, I heard a sociologist and an economist exchange stories about the new prime minister. Back in the early 1990s, the sociologist was asked to write a recommendation for one of Manmohan Singh’s daughters. Since he knew (and admired) her... | Read»

Aren’t I glad to be on holiday in Calcutta rather than facing the drudgery of another working day in my East Perth office, less than an Aussie mile from the WACA! | Read»

Jan. 16: Indian staff of the Costa Concordia, the cruise liner that keeled over off the Tuscan coast, have challenged claims that the crew had deserted passengers and were too busy saving themselves. | Read»

Shah Rukh Khan shuts his eyes and imagines the moment of his own death. “My grandmother used to say that every time a flashbulb goes off in your face you lose three seconds of your life. Sometimes I think one day someone will just say: ‘Roll Camera, Action’ and I will drop... | Read»

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 2: Seven years after fleeing Nazi Germany for Princeton in 1933, Albert Einstein took US citizenship. India can only rue what might have been. | Read»