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Stupefying poll-pundits, the 65-year-old cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (meaning Pakistan Movement for Justice) has ‘out-Bruce-d Robert Brucc by racing up to the coveted seat of Pakistan premier after a 22-year battle. The first cricketer to be elected as Prime Minister in the history of parliamentary politics, Khan is the fifth Oxford –educated PM of Pakistan. After lifting World Cup trophy for his country in 1992, the victory of PTI in the 11th general elections is the most important milestone in his career.

Imran Khan feels slighted that the Indian media made him sound and look like a Bollywood villain. He should be glad he was not bracketed with the Bollywood hero. Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor… 'Hero' Amitabh Bachchan didn't click with the audience. His copyright anti-hero took the cake. And reel-life villain Prem Chopra is a thorough gentlemen in real life.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is a significant victory for Vayalkkilikal, a collective of residents of Keezhattur village in Kannur district, who had opposed the proposed National Highway bypass through their paddy fields and wetlands.

The outcome of the meeting of European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump clearly showed that when it comes to diplomacy and maneuvering, old world Europe still has the trump card over the new world United States.

‘I got the money honey, if you got the time.’ That could have been Imran Khan’s pick-up line, before he got old enough to become a serious politician, except that the playboy cricketer did not have to throw money at a willing willowy for the honeypot. Bears knock; bulls barge in.

BHOPAL: Though there are bright chances of electoral understanding between Congress and BSP for the Assembly election, there is going to be much haggling over seat allocation. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath has announced that the Congress will set up candidates in 200 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, leaving only 30 seats to other parties. The MP Assembly consists of 230 members.

LUCKNOW: BSP national president Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav are moving ahead cautiously towards an alliance to defeat BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Tom Horn was a tracker of renegade Red Indians and cattle rustlers. He had powerful fists and was a marksman of note. Horn wrote his story and the publishers put on the cover the words ‘Written by Himself’. It was quaint. Now, there are lots of Indian stories, ‘Indian’ not ‘Red Indian’, but what if things told stories and publishers put it on the cover ‘Written by Itself’?

Vigilantism remains the focus. Talking of the cow vigilante, RSS honcho Indresh Kumar speaks like he owns not only the cow but also the human being, those with Indian citizenship – lock, stock and stomach. He consigns the bovine to the idiot category. That the cow “takes in all the poison” and that cow-dung will make do for “cement” and the “A/c”. Why/how? If cow can’t distinguish grass from marijuana, how come she is holy?

Global ratings agency Standard & Poors has expressed disappointment over the pace of reforming the Indian banking sector as part of the programme to address the system’s non-performing assets. The agency noted that although a few initiatives have been announced to reform the sector, very few steps have been taken so far and the follow-through action on the announced reforms has been weak.