John le Carr's matchless legacy

'Le Carré's spies were nothing like the exotic Kim of Kipling or the caricature that is James Bond.''Driven by a simple patriotism, held back by incompetence and politics, his characters use......

Why John le Carre will never die

He will be remembered not only as a writer, but as one of the great chroniclers and interrogators of the history of our times, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, as he mourns the passing of a legend......

Bumpy Road for India with Biden

'Any normal human being, even if he is the American president, will find it hard, at least in the initial stages, to get over the gnawing feeling that Modi is Trump's man.''Modi should not be......

A R Shivakumar: The man with the answer to India's water crisis

Nikita Puri visits Sourabha, A R Shivakumar's pioneering eco-friendly home where he and his family have lived without a municipal water connection for 22 years! Drought, a killer in India's growth......

The world needs an unbiased risk assessor

Policymakers are increasingly calling for the creation of an early warning system to prevent future breakdowns of the global economy. But so far no one has answered the key questions of who would......

Ebay's rising star plots revamp of 'flea market'

Tinkering with the core mechanisms of the world's busiest e-commerce site is not to be undertaken lightly. Yet John Donahoe, head of Ebay's marketplace division, is preparing an overhaul for early......

The G-20 and IMF reform

Increasing the resources of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is probably the one issue on which there is some possibility of agreement at the upcoming G-20 summit. And in preparation for......

The next billionaire boom

It's hard to see them with all the gloomy news, but they're out there. Working away in the shadows of the global recession, a slew of future billionaires are quietly tinkering with the ideas that......

Can you watch 425 films in a year?

Aseem Chhabra watched some great films and some huge disappointments in 2020. IMAGE: Danesh Razvi and Tanya Maniktala in A Suitable Boy. It was the year of staying at home and watching films......

Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is just perfect

Raja Sen raves about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; it is the perfect way to end 2011.Some cinema, like the best single malt, should be breathed in slowly and reverentially. It must be tasted......

007 reasons to be thrilled about Bond 24

Here's why SPECTRE may be SPECTACULAR! It’s double-o-celebration time as details have emerged regarding the next James Bond film. Scheduled to release in October 2015, SPECTRE will be the......

Robin Williams is forever!

Sukanya Verma pays tribute to Robin Williams, who passed into the ages on August 11. Robin Williams is no more? How can Robin Williams be no more? As the ubiquitous funnyman of Hollywood,......

Ashwin: Evolutionary, cerebral and never a one-trick pony

If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction......

Wales heading for exit door, but live in hope against England

IMAGE: Wales' Ben Davies, Gareth Bale and teammates during training. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters The odds are heavily stacked against Wales reaching the last 16 ahead of their so-called......

Farhat sends legal notice to bookmaker Mazhar

Pakistani Test opener Imran Farhat has become the first player to send a legal notice to Pakistani bookmaker Mazhar Majeed for naming him among a group of seven players allegedly involved in......

Farhat shoots legal notice to bookmaker Majeed

Pakistani Test opener Imran Farhat has become the first player to send a legal notice to Pakistani bookmaker Mazhar Majeed for naming him among a group of seven players allegedly involved in......

2nd ODI: Chance for Iyer to seal No 4 spot

The next two ODIs will also be important for Kedar Jadhav, who must consider himself lucky to keep his place after India's exit in the World Cup semi-finals. IMAGE: Shreyas Iyer has had a good......