Vandals Of History Afghanistan's Taliban regime remains undeterred from its hard-line agenda of destroying historically valuable Buddhist idols. A look at the present regime and its slide to orthodox fundamentalism at a time when a drought has ravaged its economy and people.

Taking On the Family
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Yadav is once again facing a tough fight for survival--this time prompted by a near revolt in the RJD fuelled by rumours of a dynastic takeover. Ranjan Yadav has emerged as a potential rival to Rabri Devi, enjoying the support of both the party rebels and the NDA allies.

Chennai Confusion
The upshot of the great Tamil circus: Jayalalitha needs Moopanar, but not the Congress.

Creepy Acquisition
With Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha determined to bring corporate payslips comprehensively into the taxman's dragnet, the salaried class is having a few palpitations. For them, it means that a long era of tax-free emoluments is coming to an end.

"Indians lack unity"
Two of cricket's finest brains met for a rare conversation:Bishen Singh Bedi takes on the role of interviewer for Aaj Tak, seeking to get into the mind of Australian captain Stephen Waugh.

Revenge Of the Bears The sudden fall in share-prices points to yet another rigging controversy, and raises questions about the efficacy and credibility of SEBI as a regulator.

EYECATCHERS

But Was It a Joke?

			Shilpa (left) and Sakshi Shivanand

When Mumbai-based southern starlet Sakshi Shivanand, 22, "joked" about a twin who secretly doubled for her on the sets of Kannada film Sainika last week, the prank blew out of proportion. Actor-producer C.P. Yogeshwar didn't take it in jest, but instead blew the whistle on the "impersonation". Shivanand insists she was "misunderstood", that sis Shilpa, a software programmer, shorter, darker, and 20 months younger, has "never stood-in" for her. Yogeshwar is left scratching his head: "I still don't know if I am acting with Sakshi or Shilpa." A publicity stunt? The Shivanands stand by their story.

They Struck a Chord

Folk singer Ila Arun (ever forgotten her high-pitched Choli ke peeche number in Khalnayak?) was first nervous about teaming up with British-Indian instrumentalist
Talvin Singh (left), in India to release his new album Ha!. But in V Jammin, a show that brought the two together to compose a single on Channel V, Arun struck just the right chord with Singh, and how. "Like a river, my voice just flowed into his music," she trilled. To which, said Singh (hold your breath), "Madonna is the western version of Ila Arun." Music to the ears or what!

In the Act

When Satya director Ram Gopal Varma was looking for "inspiration" for Company, his next underworld spiel, he wasn't looking far. The search ended at the desk of outgoing Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner (Crime) Dhanushkodi Sivanandhan, known for "his strategic approach to crime". In the film, Malayalam star Mohanlal will play Sivanandhan, but the latter is wary: "Films don't handle crime the way we do." Just this once, his hands are tied.

On Your Marx

Track queen Jyotirmayee Sikdar may be leafing through Karl Marx to prepare for the assembly elections in West Bengal. Fielded by the ruling CPI(ssM) as its candidate from Ranaghat in Nadia district, Sikdar, 32, who won two golds and one silver medal for India in the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998, is more than keen on a firm foothold in the Vidhan Sabha. An athlete for 14 years now, Sikdar's reasoning for changing track comes as no surprise: "There is no one to speak up for us sportspersons. It's harder for an athlete to approach a minister than it is for an MLA."

Compiled by Methil Renuka

MetroScape
Triple Act
What I would love to do more than anything else in the world is to write another play," says Gurcharan Das. "But I don't know if I have the courage." He should have dollops of it, going by the audience reaction to his 9 Jakhoo Hill--performed to mark the release of Three English Plays by Das --at Delhi's India Habitat Centre
last week.
more...

Looking Glass

Delhi and Mumbai: Adventure One Sport

Mumbai: Smooth Bar

Delhi: Good Earth Showroom

Polo, like many other events, is bringing about the resurgence of the almost forgotten royals. A chance, writes INDIA TODAY's Principal Correspondent Anshul Avijit, to say Maharaja again with an unctuous post-modernist gusto in Despatches.

"The only obvious competition is in bhangra," say the Pakistani duo of the music group, Strings, in conversation with INDIA TODAY's Sonia Faleiro in
Interviews.