Author: kumbhorg

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” is closely related to “Leviathan” (2014), his Oscar-nominated drama about regional corruption in northern Russia. But in fact, this French-German-Latvian production, showing in competition, is a remake of Claude Chabrol’s classic “La Femme Infidèle” (1969), which was already remade as “Unfaithful” (2002) with Diane Lane. Zvyagintsev, with his chilly style (he has a habit of keeping his camera distant, so that even medium close-ups register as mild shocks), is not exactly a filmmaker who brings the heat. And in this case, that’s a compliment. Now living in Paris and no longer…

Introduction This explainer expands upon the earlier AIER explainer “A Brief History of Federal Transfers” by examining the relationship between federal, state, and local governments shaped by transfers and the incentives they create. Transfers enable the federal government to exert influence over state and local policy beyond what direct legislation — or indeed the Constitution — allows. It outlines the dangers of centralization created by transfers, provides an overview of federal transfers to state and local governments today, and offers solutions for states to minimize their dependence on federal transfers. Tocqueville’s Evergreen Warning In his seminal book Democracy in America,…

Some stuff I am reading today morning: INR hits fresh lifetime lows (DH) Adani-Untouchable no longer (BW) SpaceX files IPO prospectus (Yahoo) Wait till 15th June before filing ITR (MC) Stock Talk: MTAR Technologies (FE) Interview with Nikhil Aggarwal, Grip Invest (BT) US Public Markets Update (Coatue) Stories Vs Statistics (CS) Investing in a world in turmoil (DR) Why people are excited about Swatch’s Royal Pop watch? (BBC) Discover more from Alpha Ideas Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their playoff hopes alive with a crucial four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 65 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at Eden Gardens. Chasing a target of 148, KKR produced a composed batting effort and reached the total in 18.5 overs to bag two important points.KKR bowlers restrict Mumbai Indians to 147After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Kolkata Knight Riders made an excellent start with the ball. Ryan Rickelton was dismissed for just six runs, while Rohit Sharma’s promising innings was cut short after he smashed two sixes during…

Alex Tuch and Buffalo Sabres Want to Make Things Work Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet joined Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate on Wednesday. There, he was asked about Alex Tuch and whether he would be back with the Buffalo Sabres. NHLRumors.com Transcriptions The Buffalo Sabres Have to Re-sign Alex Tuch Scott Laughlin: “Freidge, last one here for you too, and Gord mentioned Alex Tuck. Did his lack of productivity in the Canadiens series cost him some money? And ultimately, do you see him circling back to Buffalo?” Elliotte Friedman: “I believe that they…

Gaynor Lake tells how she struggled to pay for heating, rent and council tax and saw her debts grow.

Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, is now accepting Bitcoin as payment for his artwork on his official website.  The homepage of Hunter Biden’s official website, hunterbiden.com, features his signature bright, large-scale floral paintings, while the footer now includes a simple but striking notice: “BITCOIN ACCEPTED,” listed alongside links to the site’s privacy policy, terms of use and “Verisart Authentication.” Verisart provides blockchain‑based certificates of authenticity designed to permanently record provenance and ownership of artworks, both physical and digital. Biden’s art career has been politically fraught from the start, with initial shows in New York and Los…

Salman Khan was recently seen accepting an apology from paparazzi after expressing anger over their alleged invasion of privacy during a hospital visit. The incident took place at the success party of Raja Shivaji in Mumbai on Wednesday, where photographers apologised to the actor for their behaviour a day earlier.As Salman arrived at the event, he was surrounded by paparazzi who repeatedly said “sorry” while trying to greet him. Hearing the commotion, the actor leaned forward and gestured to ask what had happened. Once he understood that they were apologising, Salman acknowledged them and signalled that everything was alright.The success…

Hardik Pandya (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: The dejection on captain Hardik Pandya’s face was clearly visible, with sloppy fielding proving to be one of the key reasons behind Mumbai Indians’ defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.After MI posted 147/8 in 20 overs, they had a few opportunities in the field but failed to capitalise on them. Frustration peaked in the 10th over when KKR’s Rovman Powell top-edged a pull shot off Hardik Pandya.Deepak Chahar at fine leg appeared set to take the catch but left it for Robin Minz coming in from deep square leg,…

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has extended the last date to apply for the UGC NET June 2026 examination after receiving multiple requests from candidates seeking additional time to complete the registration process.In an official public notice issued on May 20, the agency said the decision was taken after “various representations from candidates” asking for an extension of the application deadline. The revised schedule now gives aspirants three more days to complete their online application forms.UGC NET is one of the country’s major eligibility examinations conducted for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), appointment as Assistant Professor, admission to…