Preity Zinta in Mohali

 Actress Preity Zinta at PCA Stadium in Mohali on the 2nd Test cricket between India and England. 

Dravid scores his 26th Test century

 Rahul Dravid scores his 26th Test century in the 2nd Test match between India and England in Mohali.

Snowstorm in New York

 A couple builds snowman during a snowstorm in New York.

History, dissent cloud Pakistan's Mumbai attack reaction

 The black-and-white flag of Jamaat-ud-Dawa still flutters over a relief camp for survivors of an earthquake that hit a remote corner of Pakistan in October. 
 
 But bearded medics who work with the group had vanished from the huddle of tents and mud huts when a half-dozen police showed up to close the operation following allegations the charity was linked to militants blamed for the deadly Mumbai attacks in India. 
 
 How Pakistan deals with the Islamic group — popular among many for its aid to the needy — is a key test of its pledge to help investigate the Mumbai tragedy and, more broadly, to prevent militants from using its soil to attack both India and Afghanistan. 
 The US and the UN say Jamaat-ud-Dawa is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group India says trained and sent the gunmen who attacked India's commercial capital last month, killing 164 people and straining what had been improved relations between the countries. 
 
 Lashkar-e-Taiba has been an unofficial ally of the Pakistan army in Kashmir, a disputed territory claimed by both India and Pakistan. 
 
 Some believe the moment has come for Pakistan, which also backed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, to make clear it has abandoned a shadowy policy of using militant proxies as a foreign policy tool. 
 
 The country stands before a ``moment of change in people's attitudes and thinking'' toward militants, Sen. John Kerry said on Tuesday in Islamabad. 
 
 Pakistan must see that Lashkar-e-Taiba has ``morphed into a more al-Qaida-esque and radicalized entity'' that is damaging the country's interests, said Kerry, incoming chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 
 
 Growing Islamic extremism is tearing at the country's social fabric as well as deterring investment. The secular, pro-Western party that took control of the government in March lost its leader, former premier Benazir Bhutto, in a gun-and-bomb attack blamed on Pakistani militants. 
 
 In the wake of the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan has moved against both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, albeit under intense international pressure. 
 
 Interviews this week with officials from both groups and the government examined the extent of the crackdown. On paper, it looks considerable, but questions remain about the long-term impact. 
 
 The Interior Ministry says 53 people are in custody, including Lashkar-e-Taiba's purported leader, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, and two men accused by India of being key plotters of the Mumbai carnage.

Son-sani khabar

Akshay Kumar’s son is yet to make his Bollywood debut. But what about Jumbo, did you ask? 
 
 That’s just it – the voice of the baby elephant in the movie is not his. It was supposed to be that way, but it didn’t happen. And the child artiste who actually has dubbed for the movie is the one from Tahaan – Purav Bhandare. He’s the one who’s done the voiceover for the younger version of Akki’s character in the film. 
 
 Navin Shah, CEO, Percept Picture Company, the producers of the film, says, “Originally, it was Aarav who was to do the voiceover, but Akshay wasn’t comfortable with that. He thought that Aarav was too young to be exposed to Bollywood, so we had to change the child artiste at the last minute. Considering Akki’s mom-in-law Dimple is also in the movie, it would’ve been great to have Aarav in it too, but Akki says, maybe in Jumbo 2.” 
 However, Khiladi Kumar has already dedicated the movie to his son. The Delhi event for the promotion, though, which was to happen tomorrow, has been delayed a bit. “The event will happen. It’s just that we are finalising the details and will soon make the venue and the date public,” says Shah.

Sanjay Dutt in Anees Bazmi's next

 Bazmi is known for his comedies. Recently, he directed two hit comedies - Singh Is Kinng and Welcome . Explaining his single-minded focus on directing comedies, Bazmi said: "It's the need of the times. Who wants to go to a movie theatre and be lost in gloom for three hours? The times are awful. People need diversion from their everyday worries. Even my next film with Salman Khan for T-Series will be a comedy. 
 
 " No Problem will be an out and out comedy with Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor. I've worked with the other two, but Sanjay will be a first time," said the excited director. The film will be backed by Anil Kapoor Productions. 
 
 But there may be some title trouble. No Problem , the title is owned by UTV, and the big question is: Will UTV be willing to part with it? 
 
 "That's right. The title No Problem is with UTV," confirms Anees, "I was supposed to make another comedy with that title for UTV with Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar and Riteish Deshmukh. That didn't happen. I'm committed to make another comedy with Akshay Kumar for UTV. But the title No Problem suits Anil Kapoor's film. I hope UTV parts with it," said Bazmi.

Sea lion

 A sea lion wearing antlers performs at the Sunshine international aquarium in Tokyo.

Christmas celebrations

South Korean kids in Santa Claus outfits perform with hand-bells during a charity event to raise funds for the needy at a subway station in Seoul.

J&K goes to poll

 A police officer stands guard with his assault rifle at a polling station in J&K's Doda district.

Hema Malini performs at Allahabad

 Actress Hema Malini (left) performs classical dance at Inidian Institute of Infromation Technology in Allahabad.

Sheila Dikshit sworn in as Delhi CM

 Sheila Dikshit, who led the Congress to a comfortable victory in Assembly polls for the third successive term took oath on Thursday as Chief Minister of the national capital. ( Watch ) 
 
 Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna administered oath of secrecy and post to Dikshit and her six cabinet ministers in a grand ceremony at the Raj Bhawan. 
 
 Dikshit had staked claim on Monday for formation of new government in the city being the leader of the largest party in the city. 
 
 The 71-year-old Dikshit led the party to victory for the third consecutive term. Congress has 43 seats in the 70-member House while Opposition BJP bagged 23 seats. 
 
 Dikshit has created a history of sort by being the only women chief minister of the Congress in the recent times.

John Abraham b'day special

 Actor John Abraham turns 36 years old today. And as he celebrates his big day with close friends and family.

BCCI donates Rs 3 crore for Mumbai heroes

In a heart-warming gesture, the BCCI on Monday donated Rs three crore for the security personnel who either lost life or sustained injuries during last month's terror attacks in Mumbai.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan made the announcement after the conclusion of the first India-England Test match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Of the amount, Rs two crore would go to the families of the heroes - Police, National Security Guards, Naval Commandos and Firemen - who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists in Mumbai.

The remaining one crore would go to the police personnel, commandos and firemen who sustained injuries in the rescue operations, Srinivasan said in a statement.

Arjun, Kunal’s ‘I Love Mumbai’ magic!

Our B-town buddies are living in fear due to the latest terror attack, but the good news is that they’re doing something about it.

We hear that Bollywood’s newest rock star, Arjun Rampal has started something like a citizen’s movement to mobilise people across all sections of society, to help Mumbai become a better and safer place to live. His buddy, Kunal Kapoor, is joining him in the venture, and the boys together are encouraging more members to join this movement. And it’s not all just a filmi chakkar guys; they aren’t interested in simply adding glam quotient to it.

They want educated, intellectual and skilled citizens (like doctors, lawyers, etc) to be a part of this force too. Well, if our rockstars are beating the drums, what are you waiting for? Chalo, let’s all march to the heartbeat called Mumbai!

John surprises everyone

John Abraham, on a recent trip to Delhi, caught fans and the media unawares by doing something that our Bollywood stars are not known for. He managed to reach the venue of the event on time!

Visibly surprised by John’s punctuality, everyone was eager to know how he had managed it. He gave one of his smiles and said, “Bollywood stars may have a bad name for always being late, but believe them, once in a while, when they say that they had a genuine reason for arriving late or not reaching the event at all.

Today, fortunately enough, my flight was running onschedule. As soon as I reached the hotel, I got ready and came here. Interestingly, I was surprised when I saw a small gathering here. Apparently, everyone had thought that I would come late and hence, they themselves were running late!”

Arab world hails shoe attack as Bush's farewell gift

Iraq faced mounting calls on Monday to release the journalist who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush, an action branded shameful by the government but hailed by many in the Arab world as an ideal parting gift to the US president.

Colleagues of Muntazer al-Zaidi, who works for independent Iraqi television station Al-Baghdadia, said he "detested America" and had been plotting such an attack for months against the man who ordered the invasion of his country.

"Throwing the shoes at Bush was the best goodbye kiss ever... it expresses how Iraqis and other Arabs hate Bush," wrote Musa Barhoumeh, editor of Jordan's independent Al-Gahd newspaper.

Hundreds of Iraqis joined anti-US demonstrations to protest at Bush's farewell visit on Sunday to Iraq, which was plunged into a deadly insurgency and near civil war in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion.

The Iraqi government branded Zaidi's actions as "shameful" and demanded an apology from his Cairo-based employer, which in turn was calling for his immediate release from custody.

Zaidi jumped up as Bush was holding a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday, shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog" and threw two shoes at the US leader.

The shoes missed after Bush ducked and Zaidi was immediately wrestled to the ground by security guards and arrested. It is not known where Zaidi is currently being held.

Al-Baghdadia issued a statement demanding Zaidi's immediate release "in line with the democracy and freedom of expression that the American authorities promised the Iraqi people."

"Any measures against Muntazer will be considered the acts of a dictatorial regime," it added.

But the government called for the channel to apologise, saying: "This action harms the reputation of Iraqi journalists and journalism in general."

Saddam Hussein's former lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi said he was forming a team to defend Zaidi and that around 200 lawyers, including Americans, had offered their services for free.

"It was the least thing for an Iraqi to do to Bush, the tyrant criminal who has killed two million people in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Dulaimi.

"Our defence of Zaidi will be based on the fact that the United States is occupying Iraq, and resistance is legitimate by all means, including shoes."

Zaidi's colleagues in the Baghdad office of Al-Baghdadia said he had long been planning to throw shoes at Bush if ever he got the chance.

"Muntazer detested America. He detested the US soldiers, he detested Bush," said one on condition of anonymity.

Soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. After Saddam's statue was toppled in Baghdad in April 2003, many onlookers pelted it with their shoes.

On Monday, during a demonstration in Sadr City, the bastion of radical anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, protestors threw shoes at passing US military vehicles, while in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, the crowds chanted "Down with America."

"All US soldiers who have used their shoes to humiliate Iraqis should be brought to justice, along with their US superiors, including Bush," said Ali Qeisi, head of a Jordan-based Iraqi rights group.

"The flying shoe speaks more for Arab public opinion than all the despots/puppets that Bush meets with during his travels in the Middle East," said Asad Abu Khalil, a popular Lebanese-American blogger and professor at Stanislaus University in California at angryarab.blogspot.com

An Iraqi lawyer said Zaidi risked a miminum of two years in prison if he is prosecuted for insulting a visiting head of state, but could face a 15-year term if he is charged with attempted murder.

In Cairo, Muzhir al-Khafaji, programming director for the television channel, described Zaidi as a "proud Arab and an open-minded man," saying he had worked at Al-Baghdadia for three years.

"We fear for his safety," he said, adding that Zaidi had been arrested twice before by the Americans and that there were fears that more of the station's 200 correspondents in Iraq would be arrested.

"As far as I'm concerned, as he long as he hit him using a shoe, it's perfect," said Cairo shoeshiner Ahmed Ali.

Tendulkar guides India to record breaking win

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar hit an unbeaten 103 as India achieved the fourth-highest run chase in history to stun England by six wickets in the first Test on Monday.

The hosts surpassed the seemingly improbable victory target of 387 on a wearing wicket with 20.3 overs to spare on the fifth and final day to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Tendulkar swept off-spinner Graeme Swann to fine-leg for the winning boundary that also brought up his 41st Test century amid loud cheers from 30,000 home fans at the Chidambaram stadium.

Tendulkar, showing the form that has made him the all-time leading scorer in both Tests and One-day cricket, anchored India's chase for five hours, during which he hit nine boundaries.

Dhoni will have no say in team selection: Report

In the wake of alleged displeasure between Team India captain MS Dhoni and selection committee over the exclusion of paceman Rudra Pratap Singh from the ODI team against England, a report has said that the BCCI has decided to shun the voting capacity of both coach and captain during the selection committee meetings.

According to the report, captain can only pick the final playing eleven and will no longer have any say on the selection of the squad. Since the board is not going to listen to the captain or coach over the selection issue, question has raised over the benefit of inviting both of them in such meetings.

BCCI has also strictly warned board members as well as the team captain and coach against any leakage of information about the boardroom meeting to media.

It is also come to light that Dhoni was not happy over the selection of M Vijay as opener in place of Gautum Gambhir during the recently concluded Australia series.

Last month on 22nd November, Dhoni has reportedly offered to resign from the high-profile post following paceman RP Singh's exclusion from the ODI team which was vehemently denied by the BCCI.

Later, Dhoni also denied the media reports of rift between him and selectors over pacer RP Singh's exclusion from the ODI squad against England.

"I do not know from where the reports of my resigning emerged," said Dhoni.

According to television reports, Dhoni had a disagreement with the selectors during the selection committee meeting to pick the team for the fourth and fifth ODIs against England.

Dhoni was unhappy that the selectors decided to drop RP Singh and include Irfan Pathan in his place and offered to resign, the television reports claimed, quoting an unnamed source close to one of the selectors.

The BCCI, however, was quick to rubbish the reports. "I can't respond to something that is being floated around by somebody," BCCI secretary N Srinivisan had said.

Salman’s disappearing act

It is believed that producer Boney Kapoor used to have butterflies in his stomach when his lead actor Salman Khan used to run off early in the evening from the sets of Wanted Dead Or Alive . But what made Salman do that? If you think he used to spend evenings partying with his friends then you are wrong.

Salman was shooting in Greece with actor turned director Prabhu Deva for Wanted Dead Or Alive . “He loved the natural beauty that Greece had to offer and that inspired Salman Bhai to get into some landscape painting. He used to disappear in the evening from the set as soon as they finished the shoot. Salman thoroughly enjoyed painting in Greece,” reveals a unit hand.

Apparently Salman, who has earlier made semi religious paintings, has changed his style. This is for the first time he indulged in landscape painting which he has never done before.

It is believed that a painter conveys his feelings through his paintings, it’s only after we have a look at Sallu’s paintings that we understand what he is trying to convey!

Congress suspends Narayan Rane for criticising party leadership

The Congress on Saturday suspended Maharashtra leader Narayan Rane, a day after his outburst against the party president Sonia Gandhi and a number of others when he lost the chief ministerial race. ( Watch )

"It has been observed that after the announcement of the new leader of the CLP in Maharashtra, Narayan Rane is making public statements deliberately with a view to lowering the prestige of the Indian National Congress," said AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

"The party has taken a serious view of his utterances and considering this as a case of gross indiscipline, Narayan Rane has been suspended from the party with immediate effect," he said in a statement hours before Rane was scheduled to hold a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday.

Rane, who was overlooked by the party high command in favour Ashok Chavan for chief ministership, had attacked the Congress leadership on Friday accusing it of reneging on a promise to make him the chief minister.

"I don't trust even Sonia Gandhi anymore", he said which party sources said was the trigger for his suspension.

Rane, a leader from the Konkan area who had left Shiv Sena three years ago, had attacked not only Deshmukh but also Ashok Chavan and some central leaders and accused them of conspiring and ignoring his claim for the top job in the state.

Al-Qaida may target Goa installations

PANAJI: International terror network al Qaida would target certain installations in tourist hotspot Goa, warns a Goa cabinet note circulated to ministers here.

"Today, Goa faces serious threat from terrorists and there were specific inputs that al-Qaida would target certain installations in Goa. Goa has a coastline of 105 km, major sea ports and beaches," the cabinet note signed by Chief Secretary J P Singh reads.

This is the first time that Goa government has admitted that the state was on the al-Qaida radar, something it had been publicly denying so far.

"Goa is declared as the permanent venue for IFFI. It has already added to the busy tourist calendar of the state, thereby putting massive stain on the police machinery. To handle such situations, an increase of reserve force is the need of the hour to ensure effective patrolling," the note adds.

A Kashmiri youth Tarique Batloo was arrested with explosives at South Goa's Margao railway station in 2006. The police investigations had revealed that Batloo's connection with militant outfit Tehrik-Ul-Mujahid.

However, Batloo was acquitted in 2008 by a Goa court as police failed to establish offence against him.

The state cabinet, which had met on December 2, discussed the need to have an additional India Reserve Battalion (IRB), an armed police force.

SRK is now Datuk Shahrukh Khan

KUALA LUMPUR: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday became the first Indian movie

star to be conferred a prestigious Malaysian title.

Wearing a traditional black and gold Malay outfit (Baju Melayu and samping) and headgear, Khan received the title of "Datuk" (equivalent to British Knighthood) from the governor of Malaysia's southern Malacca state.

Baju Melayu is similar to a kurta pajama, while 'Samping' is a piece of cloth men tie around the waist and which falls to the length of the long shirt.

The 43-year-old actor, who has a large fan base among the Malays, held the estimated 1,000 guests at the investiture spellbound as he received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM), conferred on him and 76 others.

The actor kept waving to his fans as he was escorted into the hall. The Bollywood icon was the focus of attention as media and fans clicked away using cameras from their seats.

The actor will be referred to as Datuk Shah Rukh Khan in Malaysia and will be addressed as Datuk. Each Malaysian state chooses its own list of people to honour with "Datukship". A majority of the awardees are local Malaysians who would have excelled in some area or are in the government.

Malacca authorities said Khan was given the title because some of his movies had been shot in the the historical state boosting tourism.

Khan shot a song for the movie 'one two ka four' in Malacca which was named as one of the heritage cities by Unesco a few months ago.

However, the decision to award Khan with the Datukship received a fair share of criticism across the country with local artists and public noting that the award could have been given to a local actor or artist.

How the Taj — the war zone — was reclaimed

 Journalist dead

Sabina Sehgal Saikia, journalist with a national daily who was reported missing, has been pronounced dead. It has been reported that the last message she sent to a relative said, “The terrorist is in the bathroom and I am under the bed.”

Tribute: Sabina, Scrabble, and the Spinach Rice

 "Get the Scrabble Board out, I’m coming next week!" she trilled over the phone in the summer of 2005. She had been invited to tour some vineyards and cherry and apple orchards in Washington by the US Department of Agriculture, and she had grabbed the chance to renew, among other things, our epic Scrabble battle that began in the early 1990s when I was heading the Sunday Times in Delhi and she was a principal correspondent. Jousting again after a decade-plus with Ma Sehgal, as we, the Sunday Times team, fondly called Sabina Sehgal Saikia, would be fun.

It turned out the vineyards and orchards weren't in Washington DC where I lived, but in Washington State, some 3000 miles across the country in the Pacific Northwest. Why don’t you route your ticket to return through Washington DC, I asked, but she would have none of it. "I'm coming 10,000 miles, and you can't do 3000?" she huffed, putting on an act of injured outrage, and telling me her ticket was already booked through Los Angeles. "Forget the Scrabble, don't you want your spinach rice?" 

That did it. No one argued with Sabina in the first place, and when you did, she knew exactly where to get you -- in the stomach. Spinach rice was her simplest recipe, something the Sunday Times of circa 1991-1992 feasted on from the time she decided that our Monday post-editorial lunches (mostly at Karim's in Nizamuddin) was too heavy, and she would rather bring a lunch 'dibba' to office -- for a dozen people. 

But that was Sabina. Big hearted, and brooking no opposition. Heck, I'm surprised she even allowed a couple of terrorists get the better of her. They must have been incredibly cowardly. 

Anyway, I hot-footed it to Seattle that summer day in time to pick her up from Sea-Tac airport. Fortunately, the inamorata practiced medicine in the area and we had a home close to Mount Rainier. No sooner Sabina put down her bag, she headed for the kitchen. No jet lag, no unwinding. "Cooking is how I relax," she said, rejecting all suggestions to treat her to Seattle's best eating places, including Blue Ginger and others in Pike Place Market. "What kind of food critic are you that you don't want to check out the best here?" I kidded (she gone from being a foodie to a food critic in the decade I had been away; she covered hard politics during my time at SToI). 

But she would have none of it; no eating out. About the only place she wanted to go was a mall to buy some stuff for her kids. Her ‘kids' were not just her two lovely children, but also her colleagues at Sunday Times, which she was heading at that time a decade after my stint, whom she so obviously loved. So I took her to a Nordstorm Rack, where she single-handedly shored up the American economy. 

At home, she cranked out her masterpieces, starting from spinach rice to fish curry (with halibut). But she wasn't happy with the efforts. "Yahan ke sabzi mein swad nahi hain (the vegetables are not zesty)...the spices are not fresh,” she complained. But gluttons that we were at that moment -- rather than gourmets -- we just gorged on her offerings. One afternoon, she engineered an unforgettable picnic to Snoqualmie Falls, making even ordinary sandwiches supreme. 

On languid evenings on the patio overlooking Mount Rainier, we played scrabble, breaking off to wax nostalgic about Sunday Times old and new. We laughed at our scrapes and disagreements, and our ability to constantly surprise each other. Like the working day afternoon when she turned up in office and announced she had just gotten married to Shantanu (she came to work after they registered their marriage and we all thought she was kidding). 

She never did beat me in Scrabble though, which is why I reckon she will be back. She wasn't one to give up, and I can't wait for another surprise.

Sabina Saikia’s death numbs media fraternity

Shantanu Saikia had been dreading this moment. But it came to him nevertheless, just as it did to hundreds others who lost their dear ones to the dastardly terror attacks in Mumbai. Missing since three days, the body of Shantanu’s better half Sabina Sehgal Saikia was today brought out after the NSG cleared the heritage Taj Hotel of terrorists.

Back home in Delhi, Sabina’s death came as a shocker, leaving her friends, family and the capital’s arts community deeply saddened and numbed. Of particular reference here is the flutter her death caused at SAHMAT - the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, of which she was among the most dedicated members. Ironical it seems that a woman who stood by communal harmony and secularism all her life finally went down to terrorists’ bullets.

Numbing as the experience is, the SAHMAT family today came out in the open to remember Sabina as the driving force and inspiration behind the “Artists against Communalism” events in Delhi in 1991 and later at Shivaji Park in Mumbai in 1992.

Sabina’s history tells us of how she travelled with the SAHMAT family to cities where the Anhad Garje - SAHMAT’s Sufi-Bhakti programme - was held in the immediate aftermath of the Babri Masjid Demolition in January, March 1993.

And then she was part of the Mukt-Naad in Ayodhya in 1993 held under very difficult circumstances. Mukt Naad was another event where some of the greatest classical musicians and dancers of India performed in defence of the country’s secular traditions, almost all under Sabina’s initiative.

One of the SAHMAT’s members today said, “None could refuse Sabina; she was such a beloved enthusiast of all these artists.” An acclaimed journalist and a food critic, Sabina was also the founder secretary of Spic Macay and learnt classical music with the doyens of dhrupad form of classical music - Ustads Zahiruddin Dagar and Faiyazuddin Dagar.

As a journalist later, she remained involved with the arts initiatives of her media organisation only to be led to the gourmet section later.

But with Sabina’s killing being confirmed today, all that has become history. She had gone to Mumbai to attend a wedding in a colleague’s family, but never returned. The last her husband heard from her was through an SMS, sent late on Thursday night.

“In her last SMS, she sounded very worried,” Shantanu had earlier said. About 20 minutes before that, hotel employees had received her SMS which said: “They (the terrorists) are in my bathroom'.”

The NSG commandos, who sanitised the Taj after the Operation Tornado today, confirmed the news of Sabina’s death.

Kishore Singh: Lunching with Sabina

Olive Beach does things in style, and its first anniversary bash at its relocated restaurant on Sunday was every bit as classy. En route to the restaurant, we’d stopped for a brief while at The Claridges, and the brunch buffet in the front garden had never looked more inviting. But Olive, when we got there, was the more interesting with its various counters and grills and inside-outside seating. (And amusing too, if you stopped to see the way women’s heels sank inelegantly into the pebbled garden.)

Because we were late by brunch standards (but early by Delhi lunch timings), we found a table inside(actually, it was chivalrously offered to us), got our wines and appetisers, and sat down for a good tuck-in — but, alas, the grill counter on which we had our eyes was queue-deep in diners.

“Make sure you have the rabbit,” Delhi’s grande-dame of good dining had said, when I’d risen with my plate, “and the lasagna.” Fortunately, that counter was absent of people, so I took a small portion of each to bide our time — but one of the pieces of rabbit turned out to be guinea fowl from a neighbouring tureen, so while I got to feed from Sabina Sehgal Saikia’s recommendation of the menu, my wife had only the lasagna, pronouncing her faux-rabbit to be “just chicken”.

On the table beside ours, a math lesson was in progress. Sabina’s husband was teaching the younger of their two children how to solve integers (whatever they be). “He must be a very bright boy,” my wife said in jest to Shantanu. “He’s done very poorly in school,” said the boy’s father, making the kid squirm in embarrassment. At which my wife launched into a complicated story of how our son had been really, really poor in arithmetic, how he’d managed an impressive 95 per cent in his boards, and how he was now nicely settled in college, so they were not to worry about some niggardly thing like a low score in middle school.

Though we’d known each other for years, indeed known the families for some time — Sabina’s sister, a dentist, was my sister-in-law’s very close friend in Jaipur, and her architect brother had been responsible for the interiors of a company in which I had briefly worked when work under his supervision was still on — we had never been very close friends. We’d exchanged some phone calls, true; sought information even from each other; promised to meet up in each other’s homes, conversation that was never intended to be taken seriously because it was always over food, and often after a glass or two of wine or something stronger.

On any number of occasions, we’d asked her what we should eat at the banquets where we often met. And Sabina — she never lingered late, she was always among the early diners — would tell you what she had liked. Unlike her weekly restaurant review columns where she often said what was awful about the food, at parties she never told you what wasn’t nice, she only recommended what she thought was good. Invariably, she was right. And it was always a treat to have her sit beside you at Habib Rehman’s parties where even when all the food was excellent, her suggestions were extraordinarily well paired.

Sabina, since Thursday evening, has been missing at the Taj in Mumbai, her SMSes eloquent and painful and indicating a state of hopelessness. On Sunday, as she left from Olive before we did, she’d enveloped us each in her familiar bear-like hug, thanking my wife for her assurances on how her son would likely perform as he got older.

We’re waiting, Sabina, to return those hugs. At Olive this coming Sunday?

Assam mourns the death of Sabina S. Saikia

 Guwahati Press Club and Journalist's Forum, Assam have expressed shock and grief at the unfortunate death of Sabina Sehgal Saikia, who was one of nearly 200 victims of Mumbai terror attacks. Sabina was one of those victims who fell prey to the terrorists' attacks in heritage Taj Hotel building. The consulting editor with The Times of India, Sabina was trapped inside the hotel as the Islamist terrorists seized many parts of Mumbai's Nariman areas on November 26.

 

Sabina, a Punjabi born and the daughter-in-law of Assam was found dead at Taj hotel after the counter-terrorism operation against the dreaded terror strikes in India was over. Her journalist husband Santanu Saikia, a former staffer of The Economic Times, identified her amidst the pile of dead bodies. With her husband, Sabina left behind two children too.

 

Earlier the security forces declared iconic Taj hotel free from terrorists' clutch on Saturday morning. Speaking to scribes, the National Security Guard director general J K Dutt declared that the commandos had killed the last three terrorists hiding in the hotel.

 

The anti-terror forces had regained control over Oberoi Hotel and also Nariman House. The nearly 60 hours terror attacks left 183 deaths including 22 foreign nationals. The operation that snatched away the lives of few security personnel, however was successful in eliminating nine terrorists and also one captured alive.

 

The Sentinel, a leading English daily of Assam, made editorial comments on Mumbai terror strikes as an attack on 'all Indians, who have proved to be a highly competitive nation and are confidently marching ahead towards becoming a global power'.

 

Expressing anger on the government's 'counter-terrorism text with pseudo-secular dots and commas', the editorial added, "This is a war against India, which the country must win — and it has the resources, too, to win. But the only deterrence is the 'secular', effete Manmohan Singh government itself. It does not have the guts to warn Pakistan, nor does it have the will to save innocent people from the openly declared jehad. It has, therefore, no right to rule any patriotic Indian."

 

Sabina married to Santanu, only son of an illustrious Assamese littérateur and journalist Chandra Prasad Saikia. The Sahitya Academy award winner authored C.P. Saikia edited a number of daily and literary magazines. Also chaired Asom Sahitya Sabha, highest literary forum of Assam Sakia died in 2006.

 

The member-journalists of Guwahati Press Club assembled in the club soon after the news of Sabina's death in terrorist's attack broke out on November 29. The journalists observed a minute's silence as a mark of respect to all the departed souls in the incident and also lit candles on the club premises.

 

In another statement, Journalist's Forum, Assam expressed profound grief at the tragic death of an eminent journalist and also an 'Asomiya bowari'. The forum condemned the terror attacks on Mumbai and urged the government to initiate prompt actions against the perpetrators.

 

The Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also paid condolence at the untimely death of Sabina. In an official statement, Gogoi said Sabina 'carved a niche for herself in the field of journalism and literature'. The death of Sabina Sehgal Saikia is a great loss for the nation as well as Assam, the statement concluded.

Emotional adieu to journalist Sabina

Scores of teary eyed friends, colleagues, celebrities and even people who didn't now her personally turned up to bid farewell to Sabina Sehgal Saikia, a well-known scribe and food critic who perished in the Mumbai terror strike and was cremated in Mumbai on Sunday.

The body of Sabina, a consulting editor with the Times of India, was consigned to the flames at Lodhi Road cremation grounds. 

For many, it tragically ended the uncertainty that had prevailed in the media about her death ever since it came to be known that she was among those trapped at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel when terrorists struck Mumbai Wednesday night.

That she was as popular with the rich and famous as among lay readers was evident from the numbers that turned up to pay their last respects. Beauty expert Shahnaz Husain, actor Nandita Das, politician-industrialist Naveen Jindal, journalists Dilip Padgaonkar, Vikram Chandra, Vinod Nair were all present on the occasion.

Raj K Raj, a senior photojournalist, said: "I had a photo shoot with her just a week ago. I cannot believe this."

Said a bystander: "I was not a friend of hers. I am here just to express my solidarity at the moment." 

Amidst all this, her husband Santanu Saikia was standing in a sombre mood with his arm around his son and sometimes folding hands and thanking friends for reaching out at this tragic hour.

Sabina was trapped on the sixth floor of the Taj Hotel that was worst affected in the deadly strike by terrorists who attacked 10 prominent landmarks in Mumbai, killing 183 people over the next 60 hours.

Sabina had been SMSing her family and friends until Wednesday midnight, after which they lost contact with her. She had texted her husband for the last time at 2 a.m. Thursday. 

A massive fire has gutted major portions of the floor Sabina was on. Till late Friday night, her husband, who is also a journalist, was "hoping against hope" that she would be found alive. But that was not to be.

Her body was flown to the capital on Saturday night and brought to her south Delhi home. Sabina leaves behind her husband, a daughter aged 14 and a son aged 11.

She had gone to the hotel late Wednesday to attend a wedding when terrorists stormed it, firing at guests and holding several hostage. The standoff between the terrorists and security forces ended Saturday morning.

At her funeral, her colleagues and well-wishers found it difficult to hold back their tears. "I cannot talk right now. This is not the moment to talk," said an otherwise composed looking friend.

Some of her regular readers also turned up for a last look at their beloved writer.

"I have been reading her column for a long time. This is really shocking. I came here to make myself believe that I wouldn't be reading her anymore," said Nishant Singh, an avid reader of Sabina's column in Delhi Times.

Some of her friends recalled their last moments with her. "She was wearing her tight jeans and black T-shirt that day and was looking so adorable," said one.

Hundreds bid tearful farewell to Sabina

As scores of people gathered at the Lodhi Road crematorium on Sunday morning to bid a final farewell to Sabina Sehgal Saikia, the noted food critic and consulting editor for The Times of India, family members and friends alike broke down when the scribe's body was consigned to flames. 

Sabina was trapped on the 6th floor of Taj Hotel during the Mumbai terror siege and her body was recovered on Saturday. Her body was flown down to the Capital in the evening. 

Sabina's cremation was attended by hundreds of people, including close friends from the journalist fraternity, noted artists, theatre personalities, politicians and people from the world of fashion. 

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who had also come to pay her respects, told Times City: "I knew Sabina personally, and she was a bundle of joy and energy. Her death is a great loss for both the journalistic world and for us.'' 

Sabina's husband Santanu and brother Nikhil revealed that her end was instantaneous and she had not suffered in her last moments. "We are grateful to the NSG for the brilliant operation they carried out. Even though Sabina is no longer with us, we are happy for those who survived,'' said Nikhil. 

Sarod player Amjad Ali Khan and his wife Subhalaxmi, who had a long association with the journalist, couldn't hold back their tears, describing Sabina as a family member. "This is a personal loss for us. We knew her since she was in college and an active member of the Spic Macay. She was extremely popular in the performing arts community and was a talented singer herself,'' said Khan. His wife Subhalakshmi, who Sabina referred to as "didi", broke down as she recalled the last time Sabina had gone to their home for lunch. "She got us a book and spent a lot of time with us that day,'' she said.

Bharatnatyam dancer Sonal Mansingh also couldn't hold back her emotions as she recollected her association with Sabina. "She was larger than life... so giving and caring. Sabina had a lot of respect for artists and musicians and her death is a huge loss for us,'' she said. 

Actor Nandita Das described Sabina as a "bold and strong journalist''. She said: "This incident has hit us hard as she was `one of us'. This is not the time to express just anger. Sabina would definitely be more peaceful now if we used this incident to look deeper within us and see why such things are happening.''

Our soup will never be the same again

[Sabina in happier days; California]
 

Fight till the last gasp
~ William Shakespeare
English Dramatist, Playwright and Poet

I’ve never seen someone carrying pearls as gracefully as Sabina Saikia Sehgal. I first met her a couple of years back at a party the Saikia’s hosted at their beautiful Defence colony villa. You couldn’t afford to ignore her in any setting. Sabina wore huge glasses and a huge pearl. I soon realized that beneath that overweening visage, there was a beautiful human being. She was exceedingly warm, cordial and she laughed out loud. I ate prawns that she had made and it was the best shrimp I’ve ever had.

I met her on many occasions that I went to see my editor at the Saikia‘s. Each time she would floor me with her generosity. Sabina was pretenseless and I really admired her for that. I think the geniality, grace and glow came only naturally. I was surprised to learn that she read my blogs: ‘I liked the blog post you wrote for your mom,’ she told me. I never hoped I’d some day have to write an obit for such a brilliant journalist.

I’ve seen a very few people so full of life. A globe-trotting writer, food critic and consulting editor of the Times of India were just one shade to her. She also was a wonderful mother to her two kids and a loving wife to Santanu, her journalist-turned-dot com entrepreneur hubby. Sabina’s friends would vouch for her amity. As a pro she had such a fierce reputation of being India’s best -- and ruthless -- food writer that restaurateurs would fear her weekly column. Yet, in private, she was so kind.

I shudder to think how cowardly it must have been to shoot her?

Did she laugh one last time? Her loud guffaws would often draw people to her. No wonder her funeral saw an ensemble of the crème de la crème of the capital. I had the Delhi chief minister standing to my left and fashion designer Rohit Bal to my right. Complete strangers sobbed as her pyre was lit. I’d tears in my eye.

It feels so sad to lose her. Newspapers are replete with tributes. I’m being told that she was one of the finest food connoisseurs in the country. I’m sure she will raid heaven's kitchen and savor its famed manna and nectar. And then rate it. Without fear.

Sabina will be dearly missed.

Sabina Saikia Sehgal

[1961-2008]
Godspeed
[Sabina was killed in the terrorist attack at Bombay’s Taj Mahal hotel]

Sameer

Sabeena Saikia - Journalist. Was at Taj

Sabeena Saikia - Times of India journalist. Missing. Was at Taj.

Update: After the Taj siege ended, it was declared that Sabeen Saikia died in the attack. No details on how the journalist was killed.

Osama bin Laden's son denied asylum in Spain

Spain has rejected a request for asylum by one of the sons of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden because it does not believe he is being persecuted, the Interior Ministry said.

Omar bin Laden was detained at Madrid's international airport after arriving on a stopover flight from Cairo bound for Morocco and applying for asylum on Monday.

Bin Laden, who was travelling on a Saudi Arabian passport with his British wife, reportedly applied for a British visa ealier this year but it was turned down.

Bin Laden, who has described himself in media interviews as a pacifist, has 24 hours to appeal Wednesday's decision, an Interior Ministry official said.

(Reporting by Raquel Castillo; Writing by Paul Day and Jason Webb; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Vijender Kumar

Golden date?: Earlier, bong bombshell Bipasha Basu had promised Vijender Kumar a date if he wins the medal at Olympics.

Minor girl raped and killed in Bihar

A minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered in a village Madhubani in Bihar, police said on Thursday.

The incident came to light after family found the body of the 8-year-old daughter of Shivlal Yadav on Wednesday from a school premises.

An FIR has been filed against Dina Thakur and another person for the rape and murder of the girl with the Pandual police station, police said.

When the girl did not return home for a long time, the family members began to search for her and found the body from the premises of Sarisabh Pahi Girls School, police said.

Khans

Khandaan: Coming up soon is tripple treat of Top three Khans of Bollywood -Yuvraaj, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini.

Preity goes around the world!

If you guys are wondering where’s Preity Zinta these days?

Here it is. Off late she has had a rather tight schedule travelling from one place to another. A close friend of the actress said, “Preity just offered prayers and sought blessings at Vaishnodevi (she makes it a point to visit the temple every year). Then she air dashed to New Delhi to address a press conference. After addressing the press in Delhi, Preity flew down to Bangkok for another press conference once again. Hmm... sounds like a pucca business woman in the making!

The life and times of Aamir Khan

Did you know that actor Aamir Khan was an ace lawn tennis player who had represented Mahrashtra at the nationals? 

In fact, the elusive Khan headed a rock band in his Bombay Scottish days. Surprised? Well, hold on to your awe for a while. For Aamir Khan promises lots more! 

Shy and introvert, Aamir dabbled in cinema at a young age. His inclinations notwithstanding, Aamir, for a long time, was unsure of his goals in life. 

However, once decided, no one could budge the chocolate-faced boy next door. Irrespective of his personal ambitions or professional commitments, Aamir saw it through till the very end. 

Superstar Superlives on Zoom focuses on Aamir’s firm determination, his cinematic sense, his flops and his subsequent dramatic rise to the success story he has created today. The child actor, who made his first appearance before the camera in his father Tahir Hussein’s film, Yaadon Ki Barat, his fear of film sets, fascination for kites, an unsuccessful marriage to childhhood love Reena Dutt and finally finding happiness with present wife, Kiran Rao, the journey that the series sketches reveals a man stirred by his acute sense of observation and aesthetic skills. 

The perfectionist had his share of pitfall to the verge where he once thought of quitting the film industry. His very public separation with Reena left him traumatic and vulnerable. However, he bore it with stoic dignity, when critics lashed out at him for his Mangal Pandey debacle and his separation. 

That’s not all! Aamir received a lot of flak for ‘ghost directing’ his films. But he shut his critics with his exceptional directorial skills. “Aamir was exemplary in his shot angles and script sense. Need we say he was born to be a director and a legendary one at that!” says director Mahesh Bhatt. 

As Aamir himself says in Dil Chahata Hai, “It’s tough to perfect perfectionism.” However this is just the prelude .