A government school textbook sings praises of Laloo Prasad Yadav. Poets who eulogise him are rewarded with government jobs. The Lalooisation of education and literature continues unabated.

Jayalalithaa drops hints of early assembly polls as she unveils a slew of freebies and rollbacks to woo the electorate and potential allies.

The revenue deficit has to come down to zero by 2007-8 without disinvestment, downsizing or income tax hike. Chidambaram's best bet is to expand the service tax net. It will even enthuse the Left.

The trains and buses were easy. But as the Indo-Pak talks last week showed, despite the determination to succeed, the peace process will now have to brave the rough roads.

Worsening law and order situation, civic amenities on the verge of collapse and a paralysed economy-the US has handed over to the interim Government what could easily become a failed state. Is Iraq on the threshold of anarchy?

The decision to lease out a heritage church building in Kolkata has members of the CNI diocese up in arms against its head.

No longer is jewellery the domain of traditional design houses in India. Enter the celebrity brigade which is set to steal their sheen and make a glamorous mark.

After a decade of dazzling navel gazers, the midriff is losing its appeal as the erogenous zone. With the style accent shifting from over-the-top sexiness to prim 'n' proper, the new cool is the leggy lass.

As spoofing becomes a national pastime, ads take on ads, fashion caricatures politics and politicians mock rivals. Is the art of the comeback catching or is wit replacing ideas?

Efforts are on to give a facelift to a foundry producing weapons of massive dimensions in Jaipur.

The Gandhis are chilling out. Priyanka is back from Wildflower Hall near Shimla, Rahul is holidaying in Europe and Sonia took a weekend break at friend Suman Dubey's hilltop cottage in Kausani.

Get Set Go Mo, Character Call; Little Big Feats; Vanishing Act