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The story so far: Seven guests join Reverend Daniel Clement, his mother Audrey and brother Theo for Christmas lunch. But the day's festivities take a shocking turn during a game of charades when one of their visitors falls to the floor... and doesn't get up. Now, in the second and final part of the Mail's electrifying serialisation, questions swirl over his sudden death – as suspicion falls on Audrey's special bread sauce... Daniel said: 'Alex, see where that ambulance has got to.' 'There's a strike, remember, and it's Christmas Day. You couldn't pick a worse day to have a heart attack.' Daniel winced, and instinctively looked to see if Jane, Victor's wife, had heard, but she wasn't in the drawing room. Her cousin, Lord Bernard de Floures, had taken her out to the kitchen, for he thought it no seemlier for a wife to witness a husband's death than a father the birth of a child. Miss March and Honoria had gone with them to make tea and be reassuring and to see that Jane did not help herself to another stiffening tot. A top-secret family recipe, that VERY amorous kiss under the mistletoe - and a dead guest. So who's the killer? Read the second part of our thrilling Christmas mystery to find out... Audrey, with help from Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo, kept the effort up for half an hour before the ambulance arrived, blue lights flashing. The ambulance crew knew Neil from his professional life as a policeman and spoke to him as professionals do, without the softening gloss applied to white-faced relatives surrounding a body. For Victor was now a body, his life extinct almost as soon as he fell. Neil took it upon himself to carry the news to his widow. 'I am sorry to have to tell you...' 'I know,' said Jane, 'he's dead. We all know.' 'Jane, how awful, I'm so sorry,' said Audrey. Honoria had started to wash up, making herself useful at this most testing time, but Neil came and stopped her. 'Please don't wash anything up, Honoria.' 'I am capable of... Rev Richard Coles
FanSided’s Chris Landers pitched a perfect break-glass-in-case-of-emergency QB option for Tigers head football coach Brian Kelly, since after losing Bryce Underwood to Michigan it can accurately be called an emergency in Baton Rouge right now, and his LSU offense: Louisiana’s own Arch Manning. Landers proposed the bombshell transfer portal possibility while operating under the hypothetical that Quinn Ewers returns to Texas. “Brian Kelly is a man in need of a lifeline right now, with his LSU team reeling after three straight losses and top 2025 QB Bryce Underwood flipping his commitment to Michigan on Thursday night,” Landers prefaced before saying, “And what a lifeline Manning would be, a guy who was just as sought-after as Underwood coming out of high school — and who just so happened to grow up nearby in New Orleans? “The Tigers weren't on Manning's initial list of finalists, which could be a sign that Manning is looking to get a little bit further away from home. But they have the recent track record in QB development, having put Jayden Daniels (and soon Garrett Nussmeier) into the NFL and churning out great receivers on a regular basis. There isn't much behind Nussmeier for 2025, and if Manning becomes available, LSU could take all that Underwood money and simply redirect it to the next best thing.” Horns247’s Chip Brown reported on November 21 that Ewers is expected to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. “I spoke to two sources close to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on Wednesday night who said they expect Ewers to enter the 2025 NFL Draft after this season, meaning Saturday's game against Kentucky (2:30 p.m., ABC) would be Ewers' last regular-season home game as a Longhorn,” Brown wrote. Manning would represent a dramatic upswing for a Kelly-led program with practically no narrative wins to stand in recent months besides early-season wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina. In truth, LSU is supposed to win those matchups every year given the program’s pedigree. With all that said, Manning could do worse than a school that turned two recent transfers, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, into Heisman winners.
Fully half of the best films ever —from Charlie Chaplin’s to Claude Lanzmann’s—are replete with cinematic selfies. Yet they are rare over all, perhaps because the camera is an unflinching diagnostician. The medium admits self-portraiture with obvious ease (just step in front of the camera), but few filmmakers can withstand its penetrating gaze, which is surely why the practice self-selects toward the masters of the art. In the newest release to take up the challenge, Leos Carax’s “It’s Not Me,” the French director approaches the genre as a mosaic. He presents an audiovisual collage in which he only occasionally appears, made up of archival film clips and still photos, music and voice-overs, title cards and effects, and some newly filmed footage. With these elements, he forms a thematic and emotional self-portrait, delving into his personal life, taking stock of his career, and reflecting on art, politics, family, and the cinema as a form of self-discovery. Carax, who is sixty-four, has been making films since 1980 and made his first feature, “ Boy Meets Girl ,” in 1984. His early career was meteoric. By 1991, he had directed two movies (“ Bad Blood ” and “The Lovers on the Bridge”) of breathtakingly grand-scale inspiration, but he has made only three features since (most recently, “ Annette ,” from 2021). His ambitions, formed by spectacular golden-age classics and by the moderns’ uninhibited artistry, have run up against the realities of the economy and the psychology of contemporary cinema—its all-too-common division of industrial power and artistic intent. Yet his presence in the world of film—even when it takes the form of his absence—has, alongside his output, made him an exemplary outlier, a living myth, albeit a reticent one. He doesn’t so much cultivate a public image as he bears it, as something of an Icarus of romantically visionary designs. With “It’s Not Me,” Carax confronts the aberration of celebrity (even art-house celebrity) by means of a cinematic self-creation that’s both a matter of sincere reticence and an audaciously assertive work of art. “It’s Not Me” (now playing in theatres and available for purchase on Amazon and other sites, and, as of January 1st, streaming on the Criterion Channel) is as elusive as the title suggests. It’s a barely feature-length film, which originated as a commission from the Pompidou Center. Though only forty-two minutes long, it’s crowded with images and ideas, like a collection of keepsakes overflowing the little chest of drawers in which they’re kept. It’s also mercurially allusive, with its teeming material jammed together associatively, in an impressionistic whirl of abrupt transitions and superimpositions. Yet, as digressive as its surface seems, an artist’s sense of creative organization is at work. Elements are gathered together thematically and, subtly but surely, a chronological arc emerges. The result is a classical autobiography built of fragments and gaps—less a collection than a personal constellation. The title “It’s Not Me” may seem like a puckishly implausible denial, yet it’s accurate. The film, a shy director’s self-portrait, is filled with things that aren’t Carax but that make him who he is, whether memories or ideas, phrases or images, worldly deeds and works of art—especially, of course, movies. A crucial element of modernism is the endnote—as typified by T. S. Eliot’s “ The Waste Land ”—as a vital aesthetic element, linking a sometimes cryptic art work to the cultural precedents on which it depends and to which it subtly refers. That’s the tacit premise on which “It’s Not Me” runs, and its equivalent of Eliot’s endnotes are the credits, which detail all the films and music on which Carax draws. There are clips from thirty-one movies, including Eadweard Muybridge’s primordial motion studies, F. W. Murnau’s “Sunrise,” Nicholas Ray’s “Bigger Than Life,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” and much of Carax’s own work. The soundtrack features Miles Davis, Prokofiev, Beethoven, and musicians who have figured in Carax’s films, such as Kylie Minogue, Sparks, and, of course, David Bowie, whose song “Modern Love” anchored an unforgettable set piece in “Bad Blood.” Early on, Carax shows himself in bed, accompanied by an allusion to the opening of “Swann’s Way,” and his vision of himself reaches back before firsthand memory, to his conception (featuring egg-related clips from “Bad Blood” and Ernst Lubitsch’s “The Marriage Circle”) and his family origins. His story and his family’s reach into the crises of the twentieth century and into contemporary politics. There are images of Shostakovich, Hitler, and clips that include documentary footage of an infamous 1939 pro-Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden (and its interruption by a young man outraged by the antisemitism on display). There is a segment showing politicians whom Carax deems to be possessed of “hate,” such as Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bashar al-Assad, and Vladimir Putin. (“They all claim to be humiliated and offended,” he notes.) There’s an astoundingly appalling bedtime story about Hitler and death camps; an extended lament on widespread indifference to migrants whose corpses wash up on European beaches; and visions of resistance, including documentary footage of Pussy Riot, and the French Resistance as personified by one of its heroes, Jean Moulin. Carax riffs on his father’s identity, and the sense of paternity on display extends to “bad” movie fathers like ones played by James Mason, Robert Mitchum, and Adam Driver (in Carax’s “Annette”). Another of Carax’s cited father figures is Jean-Luc Godard, whose presence is felt throughout: the soundtrack even features a phone message Godard left for Carax asking him to call back, and the very nature of the project is reminiscent of Godard’s self-portrait film “JLG/JLG.” There are differences, of course; unlike Carax, Godard was a character, acting often in his own films and those of others, and he cultivated his public image with an artistic aplomb. Still, the similarities are felt, stylistically and technically, in the collage-like form and the free manipulation of archival images—and, above all, in a shared sense of audacious yet exquisite aestheticism yoked to a strain of refined, resolute insolence. Carax’s art is exemplified with clips of ecstatic and intimate performances that he has elicited from regular collaborators, such as Julie Delpy, Juliette Binoche, Michel Piccoli, Denis Lavant, and Carax’s late partner, Katerina Golubeva. Her death, in 2011, haunts the film and hovers over Carax’s depiction of their daughter, Nastya, seen in home movies as a small child and, as an adult, as an accomplished pianist. (Carax uses special effects to transform a performance of her into a gothic extravaganza.) He interrogates himself, in particular, as director of actresses, through the self-accusingly melancholy lens of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story “The Birth-Mark,” about a murderous quest for perfect beauty. While following his own life cinematically, Carax includes reflections on the art itself—in particular, his view of the lost grandeur of its classics, which he has sought to recapture with modern means. He discusses “the gaze of the gods” offered by the heavy equipment of the silent-film era, comparing it ruefully with the meekness of lightweight modern technology. He draws a similarly self-deprecating contrast between the laborious wonder that film of motion represented for the nineteenth-century pioneer Muybridge and the ease of modern motion capture as depicted ( and transfigured ) in his own movie “ Holy Motors .” In an extended sequence, launched by a poetic riff on blinking, he links today’s inexhaustible profusion of images with a metaphorical form of blindness. The movie concludes with a sequence of astounding, giddy inspiration. After the endnote-like credits comes an ingenious mashup of Carax’s celebrated “Modern Love” sequence in “Bad Blood” with his most recent feature, “Annette.” It’s a fusion of the classic and the modern, the spectacular and the whimsical, the boldly fictional and the self-effacingly metafictional. It’s no mere happenstance that Carax places this set piece after his modernist endnotes—it’s a whiplash assertion that the naming of his self-defining obsessions is beside the point. The movie’s referential fragmentation is secondary to its unity as an experience. What’s most personal about “It’s Not Me” is what can’t be sourced in the credits: the art of the cinema itself. ♦ New Yorker Favorites A man was murdered in cold blood and you’re laughing ? The best albums of 2024. Little treats galore: a holiday gift guide . How Maria Callas lost her voice . An objectively objectionable grammatical pet peeve . What happened when the Hallmark Channel “ leaned into Christmas .” Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker .Government should not pick which religions to favor
1 2 Patna: Bihar lived up to its reputation as the land of sharp political developments in 2024 with chief minister Nitish Kumar making yet another dramatic U-turn. This time, he returned to the BJP-led NDA after abruptly severing ties with the RJD-led Grand Alliance. The upheaval turned Tejashwi Prasad Yadav , who had been the deputy CM, into the leader of opposition overnight. The series of alliances and breakups — NDA in 2020, Grand Alliance in 2022 and NDA again in 2024 — cemented Bihar's image as the land of political unpredictability. Nitish-Lalu break-up: The cracks in the Grand Alliance began to show when the Narendra Modi-led central govt posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna on former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur. Nitish and his JD(U) were quick to laud the PM's decision. The centenary celebration of Karpoori Thakur, organised by JD(U) in Patna, turned out to be the tipping point. Nitish criticised the UPA for its dynastic politics and praised Modi's governance, marking the end of the alliance. "Karpoori Thakur's legacy is beyond politics and the Bharat Ratna honour reflects true respect for his contributions," Nitish said. Four days later, he dissolved the Grand Alliance and took oath as CM for a record ninth time, this time with the NDA. Foes turn deputies: Nitish's return to the NDA brought surprising allies into his fold. BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, who had vowed to remove his turban only after Nitish was ousted, not only became his deputy but also made a pilgrimage to Ayodhya to shave his head in gratitude. Another deputy, Vijay Kumar Sinha, who had clashed with Nitish during assembly debates, also joined the govt. These alliances highlighted the fluid nature of Bihar's politics. Lok Sabha triumph and assembly bypolls: The JD(U)-BJP alliance delivered a strong performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 30 of Bihar's 40 seats. JD(U) secured 12, making it the second-largest NDA ally after TDP. Nitish's support also helped the NDA win all four assembly by-polls in Bihar, cementing the alliance's grip on the state. ‘Ab yahin rahenge': Shortly after rejoining the NDA, Nitish coined the phrase "ab yahin rahenge" at a rally with PM Modi in Aurangabad. The line became his recurring assurance to NDA leaders and voters alike. "Idhar-udhar nahin jayenge, ab yahin rahenge," he reiterated at multiple events. Rohini's political foray: The general elections also saw RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, Rohini Acharya, debuting in politics. Contesting from the Saran Lok Sabha seat, she narrowly lost to BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy by just over 13,000 votes. However, Lalu's eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, won the Patliputra seat on her third attempt, making her the eighth member of the family in active politics. Chirag in, Paras out: Chirag Paswan, president of LJP (Ram Vilas), reasserted his importance in NDA politics. The BJP allotted five Lok Sabha seats to his faction, sidelining his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras, who resigned from the Modi cabinet. "Chirag is the rightful heir to Ram Vilas Paswan's legacy," a senior BJP neta said. PK's electoral entry: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor ventured into active politics with his party, Jan Suraaj, positioning it as an alternative to the NDA and Grand Alliance. However, his debut was lacklustre. His candidates lost all four by-polls and the Bihar council seat with two candidates replaced mid-campaign. The losses branded him a "vote-splitter," raising doubts about his political future. JD(U)'s voter base: For the first time, JD(U) netas openly criticised the Muslim community for not supporting the party. MP Devesh Chandra Thakur publicly declared he would not work for communities that did not vote for him. Later, Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh echoed similar sentiments. "Minority communities don't vote for Nitish Kumar," he said. The remarks triggered debates about the party's voter base. Rifts in INDIA bloc: The opposition INDIA bloc faced internal tensions over leadership. Lalu Prasad supported West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to head the alliance while Tejashwi diplomatically suggested a consensus-based decision. Sharad Pawar also backed Mamata, exposing fissures within the bloc. Shah's cryptic remarks: Union home minister Amit Shah fuelled speculation when he avoided naming Nitish Kumar in discussions about NDA's leadership post-2025 elections. JD(U) retaliated by posting slogans like "Jab baat Bihar ki ho, naam sirf Nitish Kumar ka ho" on its social media handles. BJP netas later clarified that Nitish would lead the NDA's campaign in Bihar. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .Mutfwang leads Gowon, Obasanjo in praise, worship for peace, unity in Plateau
India needs to address BD concerns for better ties:FA