Alfie Bloggs

  An extraordinary autumn is unfolding in the Kashmir valley. The trees haven’t turned colour yet, but the ground has become a rainbow riot of banners at battle. If you can imagine multiple rag-tag Gaulish formations converging inexorably upon each other in a piff! bang!! pffft!!! collision — not always clear about who they are out to slay or why — you are probably close to sensing the nature of the Kashmir election. The crying pity is that it is a script arrived late for Messrs Rene Goscinny and Alberto Uderzo to craft it into another classic: Asterix in Kashmir. Think of a character from the cast they created and you’d almost instantly find a match amongst those stomping about this campaign. There’s one that finds resonance in several at once — Cacofonix, the raucous fiddler. Never has the Kashmir battlefield been as crowded with contestants, neither ever so replete with active soldiery. Should you run into a frill — any shade of frill — out canvassing, be sure to be stranded for...

 As the focus shifts to companies linked to the exploding pagers being used by Hezbollah members, the name of a Kerala-born businessman, Rinson Jose, and his Bulgaria-based company Norta Global cropped up. They have been given a clean chit by Bulgarian authorities. However, the entire saga points to a complex web of companies. Lebanon pager blasts Lebanon pager blasts killed at least twenty people and injured over 2,500 others. (File photo) As thousands of pagers exploded in Lebanon, killing nearly 20 and injuring thousands of Hezbollah members, it created an intel map for Israel. However, it also triggered a wild goose chase as the world tried to understand how Israeli spy agencies manage to rig the pagers with explosives. Surprisingly, in the complex maze of companies and shell firms, the name of a Kerala-born person, who is now a Norwegian citizen, has also emerged. Telex, a Hungarian media outlet, reported that a Bulgarian company, Norta Global Ltd, was behind the pager's deal....

 Expressing anguish over reports of alleged presence of animal fat in ghee used to make Tirumala laddus, Ayodhya's Ram Temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das on Friday said over three quintals of 'laddu prasadam' from Tirupati were brought to Ayodhya during consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in January this year. "It is unfortunate that animal fat was mixed in Tirupati laddus. 1x1 polls If animal fat was mixed in it, it is unforgivable. Strict action should be taken against such people," Das said. Read also: 'Sanctity of Tirupati laddu restored': Temple trust after reports of 'beef fat, fish oil' in 'prasadam' 'Whatever has come to light ...': Congress chief Kharge reacts to Tirupati laddu row 'One nation, one mom': Congress takes dig at viral Tirupati laddu tweets amid prasad row Around one lakh laddus from Tirupati were brought to Ayodhya during the consecration ceremony. These laddus were packed in large boxes and bro...

 The controversy surrounding the ghee used in making laddoos at Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati Temple has escalated into a public spat between actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and actor Prakash Raj. Pawan Kalyan expressed concern over the alleged adulteration of Tirupati laddoos with animal fat, including fish oil, pork fat, and beef fat. He questioned the previous Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board, formed under the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, demanding accountability for the issue. "Maybe the time has come to constitute a 'Sanatana Dharma Rakshana Board' at a national level to look into all the issues related to temples in Bharath. A debate has to happen at a national level by all the policymakers, religious heads, judiciary, citizens, media and all others in their respective domains. I think we all should come together to put an end to the desecration of 'Sanatana Dharma' in any form," Mr Kalyan posted on social media. The actor-politician...

 On September 21, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.  The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad is proudly executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific—including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together at unprecedented scope and scale to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security...