Firstpost Editor's Picks: PM's China outreach, who's in charge of Congress, Magnus Carlsen; today's top stories

Narendra Modi’s new outreach to China is bigger than just foreign policy and may hold keys to Asia’s future

In theory, this should facilitate building a new kind of bilateral relationship, but mutual suspicion runs deep in both Beijing and New Delhi. Finding a way forward on China, the critical foreign policy task for which Jaishankar has been brought into government, is no small task.

Who’s in charge of Congress? For the first time, questions on whether Gandhis will continue to lead party arise

It’s easy to see that after Nehru, the Congress reduced itself to being a franchise enterprise like McDonalds or KFC, licensing power-brokers to use the family name, which they see as a low-investment, high-return proposition to procure power. The brand is hugely less popular now, but the hope of some investors for better future lingers on.

Jackie Shroff has a lot going for him this year. Right from a voice cameo in Total Dhamaal to starring in Romeo Akbar Walter, Criminal Justice and the recently released Bharat, he continues to woo audiences. The actor will now be seen in the highly-awaited Saaho, starring Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor. While shooting for Tamil star Vijay’s next untitled film, he looked back on his experience shooting Saaho in an interaction.

A delightful story and one of Ruskin Bond’s best. If A Flight Of Pigeons was memorable, this Flight Of A Crow leaves you cawing for more. Look out for it. I found it in The Complete Stories And Novels Of Ruskin Bond, a Penguin India Tenth Anniversary Commemorative Edition.

The 7th Altibox Norway Chess has ended and Magnus Carlsen continues his dominance in the world of chess. He appeared for six tournaments this year and has won all six of them. Carlsen’s play reminds us of what Karpov did in the 1970s and 80s and what Kasparov did from 1985 to 2000. Complete domination.