Catch up: A wrap of the week gone by — news, views and ideas

The dismal show of the world’s number one Test squad, Anna’s renewed agitation over the Jan Lokpal Bill,  the stormy start to the monsoon session, Sonia Gandhi’s mysterious medical condition and finally the biggest stock market crash in a year - the week that just got over was certainly full of news. In case you missed some of it, here is a quick wrap of all that happened. Rahul Gandhi is chosen to lead the party committee, while Sonia Gandhi is away getting treatment for a mysterious illness The hush-hush arrangements for Sonia Gandhi’s operation at New York’s Sloan Kettering Hospital were kept secret even from the Indian embassy. The hospital records apparently don’t disclose her name. Firstpost argued that illness details of the virtual chief executive of the country simply could not be kept a secret . Our reporter in New York also found that preparations had been afoot for a while . And finally we also tried to answer that proverbial question of why India loves to hate Sonia Gandhi . This entire story however began when Rahul Gandhi was chosen to lead the four-member team that would look after party matters while Sonia was away.  [caption id=“attachment_55649” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] The Commonwealth Games was back in the news as the CAG report was tabled in parliament. The Comptroller & Auditor General’s indictment of the Delhi government in the Commonwealth Games scandal has made Sheila Dikshit a target of  the opposition’s attack. The report, however, does not name her personally. The Monsoon session of the parliament began with the impressive debate on price rise. The Lokpal Bill was tabled in  Parliament on 4 August which sparked the expected fireworks with the Congress-led UPA and the opposition, BJP-led NDA, taking different positions on the question of the Prime Minister coming under the Lokpal’s purview. The government snubbed Team Anna even as the latter mounted an attack by burning the draft of the Lokpal bill. We ran a live blog of the entire debate if you want a blow-by-blow catch-up. [caption id=“attachment_55650” align=“alignright” width=“380” caption=“Reuters”]  [/caption] The US Congress buried the spectre of a US debt default by finally passing a deficit-cutting package on Tuesday. The US debt situation left global investors writhing after the bloodbath across markets . It led the Sensex to fall below the 17,000 mark for the first time since June 2010, and investors lost more than two billion dollars in a single day on 5 August. And as if that were not enough Standard and Poor, the world’s leading rating agency downgraded the United States from a topnotch AAA rating. This will certainly have far reaching effects, one of which is a bullish prediction that the sensex will hit the 60,000 mark . Post going down 0-2 in to England, Dhoni, or 'captain cool' lost some sheen. While we didn't think Dhoni should be taken to the cleaners we definitely voted for a rehaul, and well, the buck does stop at MSD . But of course India panicked, recalled our best test cricketer, Rahul Dravid. Smartly, the wall, while equally stunned decided to announce his one day retirement, after this current England tour. [caption id=“attachment_55651” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Jewel Samad/AFP”]  [/caption] While Freida Pinto’s _Rise of the Planet of the Apes_ released on 5 August, Sanjay's twins made their paparazzi debut this week. [caption id=“attachment_55652” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Daily Mirror’s Amy Winehouse”]  [/caption] Photoshopped! Media’s fascination with the tool continues: Over the years, media has consistently manipulated photographic evidence to make it work in their favour. Of horses’ asses, 22-minute debates and news channels: If news television in India is to survive, it needs to worry, as Kerry Packer did, about what the viewer wants , not what the channel wants. Happy birthday, Mr PM: Why Obama is running the wrong country: It is not Obama who is a failure but the US political system which is beginning to devour itself. Obama’s real problem: He’s black, Democrat, and President of the United States. Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates: Who will have the greater legacy?: The epic battle of the tech world— Microsoft versus Apple —seemed decided long ago, with Bill Gates clearly the winner, but Steve Jobs stands ready to cap one of the most amazing come-back stories in business history.