'As one former Indian diplomat put it to me, Delhi has access to the White House, but Islamabad has access to Mar-a-Lago.'
'I need 3-4 lakhs for the wedding. All prospective grooms demand a motorcycle which costs 1 to 1.5 lakhs, then you have to also give a bed, cupboard, utensils, fridge,' says Kamala, her wrinkled forehead furrowing with despair.
In a composed and clear presentation, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi announced that nine terrorist facilities had been destroyed in the tri-services operation.
'Bihar's voters' electoral memory is long, and their evaluations are relational; who came to the village, who followed up, who resolved a problem.'
'Political protection allow groups to recruit, rearm and operate with reduced operational pressure. That increases their bargaining power and their ability to destabilise.'
'People are enjoying freedom in everyday life because of their sacrifice.'
Briti Chatterjee sings Bangla folk songs on her handmade Dotara. This Durga Pujo, she is booked for 17 shows in pandals across Kolkata.
'If China shows greater concerns for Indian interests, ties could improve. Otherwise, the thaw could be short-lived.'
The glorious singer is simply sensational at 77 and we just love her!
'In times of adversity, families unite, but the reverse is happening in the Lalu family.'
'Pakistan is economically very weak and will not be able to sustain a war for long.'
'This was textbook emergency response under stress.'
'If the NDA returns with the BJP substantially ahead of the JD-U, a BJP CM bid becomes plausible; if the gap is narrow or JD-U holds pivotal seats, continuity with Nitish is the lower-risk option.'
'The Pakistani government's growing fear of Dr Mahrang's rising popularity is evident.' 'Her defiance is inspiring.'
Chandrasekhar -- former minister of state for Electronics and IT -- disagreed with Musk's opinion about EVMs, and argued that the latter's statement was a "huge sweeping generalisation".
'This revolution has sparked an awakening. Gen Z realises the power it holds.'
'With the US having entered the war, raising the risks of a wider conflict, those impacts could be even more damaging.'
'The question for the TMC is not whether it can hold its bastions, but whether it can expand effectively into regions where the BJP already possesses a good ecosystem.'
The mini utensils made of mud crafted by local potters and the gharaunda [miniature house] are unique to Diwali in Bihar.
'Looking at how quickly the hostilities were escalating, the nuclear threshold did not seem that far.'
'College-going Gen Z students are devastated by the killings and destruction.' 'These are not the kind of people who would burn somebody's home or beat up political leaders or set fire to people and snatch guns from the policemen.' 'So obviously a huge infiltration has happened.'
'When we get justice we will stop the protest.'
'Militants are taking over the administration. Fundamentalists have been released from jail.'
'The Pakistanis knew there was only one route up and they could take direct aim at us as we climbed up.' 'They knew they could kill us.'
'If the BJP had its way, it would sideline him in favour of someone else. But that's not feasible. There is no vote catcher in Bihar for the BJP.'
'What we are witnessing is not a freak incidence or a freak occurrence, but a new climate reality where warming oceans, monsoon variability and local geography are combining to produce extreme events.'
'They mean business, but business as usual is unacceptable to them'
To see the happiness on their faces that only a travel experience can bring is priceless.
'But this Budget alone will not fix what ails the Indian economy.'
The first national flag in Independent India was hoisted at Fort St George in Madras, not at Delhi's Red Fort.
'Humanly impossible for the switches to turn from on to off at rapid succession within one second'
'Saudi-Pak defence pact is to anchor the defence and security of Saudi Arabia and not Pakistan, per se, with Islamabad being the junior partner.'
'They are totally disconnected with farm activities which their families have been involved in for years.'
An illuminating conversation with Chandu Borde, 90, one of India's finest cricketers in the 1960s.
Nitish thought that his stakes as chief minister were far greater than his stakes in protecting one of his party MLAs. He could not allow his rule-of-law train to be derailed by a small rock on the track. On the contrary, if he removed it to keep the train moving at a steady speed he would gain strong public admiration and sympathy that would help him take the masses along in carrying out other tasks. A fascinating excerpt from Arun Sinha's Nitish Kumar And The Rise Of Bihar.
'The Pakistani State has to realise that the pigeons have come home to roost.'
'Unlike the surgical strikes and the Balakot air strikes across the LoC, we have gone further inside Pakistan and raised the bar of escalation.'
'What's currently underway is not a 'reset'.' 'What needs to be arrived at is a new balance.'
Major Padmapani Acharya was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for his courage in the Kargil War.
'Munir is clearly insecure and hence he needs the prop of a field marshal.'
