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Crystal Ball/K N Rao

No news can be good news

The punning of a court jester annoyed a king so much that he sentenced him to death. Later, taking pity on the man, he told the jester that he would be excused if the stopped punning.

"No noose," said the irrepressible jester, "is good news!"

Exactly the sentiment of my tribe, I must say. With Saturn and Ketu in opposing each other in Meena and Rahu and Mars in settling down in Kanya, no news can be good news...

Pakistan

In the good old days when Imran Khan played cricket, no one called him handsome. In fact, Imran himself had stated in an interview that his elder sister often referred to him as an ugly duckling. He transformed into a swan when an Australian women's magazine published his photo and described him as the sexiest cricketer of the world...

Since then, Imran has been in demand with eligible, aristocratic English girls. One ill-informed English girl actually decided to enhance her eligibility by assuming the name Sita. But she did not know that, for Imran, neither Lord Rama nor his consort Sita are objects of worship.

While Imran is being pursued by Sita, Dilshad Begum has begun haunting Nawaz Sharif. And suddenly, both Pakistani and American democracy are awfully similar - troubled as they are by the Kamini (women) syndrome. India, on the other hand, faces the Kanchan (scams) syndrome.

In the absence of Imran's horoscope, it is difficult to say if he will be able to emulate his rather lucky World Cup victory in real life. Or will Sita destroy him? The Makar Sankranti horoscope (14 January, 1997) does show women causing some swings.

It is clear, though, that Benazir Bhutto has entered a lean period. She needs a strong security cover.

USA

The Kamini syndrome will take an uglier turn in the US. I have insisted all along that the judiciary in India and the US will change the course of politics. President Clinton does not appear to be safe at all. His enemies will unleash a fierce campaign to malign him.

It is strange that a permissive society like the US should take such a keen interest in sex scandals. But that has been Kamini trend of US politics. The real problem, though, is the terrible spell of domestic violence, which will continue without respite for the rest of the year.

India

The Indian government faces a difficult future. I will be surprised if it does not come out with an unpleasant ordinance to curb both the fluctuating stock exchange and the law and order situation within a month. The attempt of certain foreign elements to disturb India deserves serious attention.

Russia

I had stated in an earlier column that communism was not dead. The recent military and economic pact between China and Russia is the beginning of a much needed counterbalance to the US dominance in world politics.

As I have insisted earlier, Yeltsin does not appear to be safe. If not deposed, he will have to deal with physical ill-health. The present period could be a bad time for Yeltsin, since the Makar Sankranti horoscope shows a rather violent power struggle in Russia.

Ilustration: Dominic Xavier

Crystal Ball
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