How Taiwan is defying China

Business takes a break: A different kind of court—of judges, lawyers and representatives of the Union ministry of law and justice—recently gathered in Delhi. The occasion was the two-day Inter-Ministry Bar & Bench Badminton Championship, conceptualised by former international badminton player Abantika Deka and supported by the law ministry as part of the Fit India movement. Among the participants were Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Justice Vikram Nath of the Supreme Court, and Supreme Court Bar Association president Vikas Singh. The event had Rijiju, a Hansraj College graduate, getting nostalgic about his days as a young and avid badminton player | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Cattle call: In Hindi, ‘Bhains ke age been bajana’ is a proverb that roughly means ‘throwing pearls before swine’. Students at Allahabad University recently did exactly that when they attempted to ‘woo’ a buffalo. For more than a week now, the students have been protesting a 400 per cent hike in fees for undergraduate courses. When their hunger strikes, candles marches and sloganeering failed to have any effect, they brought a buffalo to the campus and played a flute before it. But much like university authorities, the buffalo paid no attention.

Cup of storm: That caffeine can cause anxiety is well-known. But Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Gosula Srinivas recently found out that even a craving for coffee can result in anxious moments. On September 17, Srinivas drove to a hotel in Hyderabad to have coffee, just as Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s convoy was making its way to the same hotel for an event. Srinivas had briefly stopped his car on the way when the convoy was approaching the hotel. The security personnel treated it as a breach, quickly surrounded his car, and broke a window. “I lost my nerves seeing so many security personnel surrounding my car,” said Srinivas. “I couldn’t even start the car.” When he finally managed to drive away, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. “All I wanted to do was to have coffee,” said Srinivas.

The write choice: Twinkle Khanna is about to turn back the clock and become a student again. In a few days, she will start her master’s course in life and creative writing at the University of London. “There is a jump and a skip in my step as I start on a new journey,” said the writer. “It took almost two years to plan all the logistics, but I am finally going back to university....” Khanna released her first non-fiction book, Mrs Funnybones, in 2015, which went on to become a bestseller. Since then, she has written two more books—The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad and Pyjamas are Forgiving | AFP

Home run: Yuvraj Singh has just become the first international cricket superstar to turn host on Airbnb by opening the doors of his Goa home for an ultimate fan stay. Perched on a hilltop with a panoramic view of the sea, Singh’s home is an oasis of calm and the perfect spot to explore Goa’s sun-kissed villages. A group of six guests will have insider access to the cricketer’s three-bedroom holiday home for an epic weekend stay from October 14 to 16 for only 01,212 per night. Bookings open at 1pm on September 28 and guests will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis | AP

Call of the Oscars: Gujarati filmmaker Pan Nalin’s Chhello Show has been selected as India’s official entry for the 2023 Oscars in the best international feature film category. It is about a nine-year-old boy’s love for cinema. For the film—starring Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval and Paresh Mehta—Nalin drew heavily on his own childhood spent in a remote village near the Gir forest in Gujarat. Thanking the Film Federation of India for selecting his film, Nalin tweeted, “Now I can breathe again and believe in cinema that entertains, inspires and enlightens.” | Getty Images

A song of one’s own: Shruti Haasan’s second single, ‘She Is A Hero’, has garnered a million views on YouTube. The song—about the everyday heroism of women—features girls from the NGO Shiksha Seva Foundation. ‘She Is A Hero’, straddling many genres, has been composed and penned by Haasan herself, and sung by her and rapper MC Altaf. “I am so glad to finally put out my second single and that, too, with such talented musicians and with something that I care deeply about, being a woman myself,” said Haasan. With her husky contralto and controlled passion, Haasan admirably champions the cause of women | AFP

Class act: Question: Where can one find designer uniforms, parkour and worship under one roof? Answer: At Donda Academy, rapper Kanye West’s new private Christian prep school named after his mother. The school’s mission is “to provide the youth with the passion, purpose and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world”. It currently has about 100 students and 16 full-time teachers. At $15,000 per year, education at Donda Academy does not come cheap. West, who is himself a college dropout, has made three education-themed albums. A textbook case of wanting what you don’t have? | AP