New Delhi: The Congress party on Tuesday announced its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Assam assembly elections, even before the polling schedule has been officially announced, marking an early start to the party’s campaign in the northeastern state.assam According to the list released by AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Congress president and Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi has been fielded from the high-profile Jorhat seat by the party, while Assam Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia will contest from Nazira.Former state Congress committee president Ripun Bora will contest from Bachala as the party aims to regain ground lost since its fall from power in Assam in 2016.Other notable candidates include Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar from Gauripur, Markline Marak from Goalpara West (ST) and Girish Baruah from Bongaigaon. Mahananda Sarkar has been introduced from Barpeta (SC).Seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes figure prominently. Ramen Singh Rabha will play against Boko-Chaygaon (ST), Nandita Das will play against Hajo-Sualkuchi (SC) and Satyabrat Kalita from Kamalpur.In urban and strategic constituencies, Mira Borthakur Goswami will contest from Dispur, Diganta Barman from Barkhetri and Ashok Kumar Sarma from Nalbari.The 126-member Assam Assembly is expected to go to polls in April.(Inputs from PTI)
Megyn Kelly: ‘Shame on the fallen’: Megyn Kelly trolled after saying US troops ‘died for Iran or Israel’
US media personality Megyn Kelly has sparked a backlash on social media after claiming that US service members killed in ongoing attacks on Iran died “for Iran or Israel” rather than the United States. The former Fox News anchor and current SiriusXM host made the comments during a monologue on the show while discussing the escalating conflict involving the United States, Iran and Israel. Her comments have since gone viral, drawing sharp criticism from netizens who accused her of insulting fallen service members.Kelly began by acknowledging the deaths of four U.S. service members during the ongoing military operation, reportedly dubbed Operation Epic Fury. She said she was praying for the troops but questioned the purpose of the mission.“The boys and girls who have to actually carry out this mission… why again? And put their lives at risk… and for whom?” she asked.Kelly added that early polls showed Americans were divided over the attacks and acknowledged that she was leaning against them.“My own feeling is that no one should die for a foreign country. I don’t think these four service members died for the United States. I think they died for Iran or Israel,” she said.She further argued that “our government’s job is not to take care of Iran or Israel. It’s to take care of us,” adding that the conflict “feels very clearly to me that this is Israel’s war.” Kelly also singled out conservatives such as Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro and Sen. Lindsey Graham for their strong support for military action.At the same time, she said she did not believe former President Donald Trump intended to drag the United States into another “forever war,” although she said he took a “full view” of how long the conflict might last.
Rubio calls ‘imminent threat’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the attack came after U.S. intelligence showed Israel was preparing to attack Iran and that U.S. troops in the region faced an imminent threat of retaliation.Rubio said: “There is absolutely an imminent threat.” He believed that the defensive posture adopted by Israel after the attack would cause greater casualties to the US military. Five U.S. soldiers have died in the fighting so far, according to officials.Rubio insisted that the United States was “acting aggressively and defensively” to prevent greater damage.Kelly, however, questioned the administration’s assertion that Iran plans preemptive missile strikes against U.S. military and civilian targets. Addressing CNN contributor Scott Jennings’ comments, she said the claim “makes no sense” and believed Iran would be aware of the large U.S. military presence in the region.
Netizen reaction
Kelly’s comments quickly sparked an uproar online, with critics accusing her of disrespecting fallen soldiers.One user wrote, “Megyn Kelly is absolutely evil when she says our fallen American soldiers died ‘for Israel.’ It’s disgusting and shameful. She is shaming the fallen. I will never forgive her.”“Deliberately sending American soldiers down a path to death with no purpose, no ending, and no congressional authorization is evil,” another post read.Some users deemed her “not conservative,” while others defended her right to question the government’s justification for military action, arguing that public debate about war powers and foreign policy is legitimate.
Small plane makes emergency landing in cold Hudson River, 2 people on board swim to safety
Newburgh: A small plane trying to make an emergency landing crashed into the icy Hudson River, but the pilot and a passenger escaped the wreckage and swam safely to shore, authorities said. The crash occurred Monday night shortly after the single-engine Cessna 172 took off from Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Emergency crews were dispatched to the reported crash site but were initially unable to locate the aircraft, the Central Hope Fire Department reported. However, minutes later, the plane was spotted in the waters off Newburgh, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north of Manhattan. The pilot and a passenger are being treated in hospital for minor injuries. Their names have not been released. The cause of the crash is currently unknown and is being investigated by the FAA. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the rescuers’ efforts, calling the rescue “another miracle on the Hudson,” referring to the January 2009 crash in which a US Airways jet struck a flock of birds and lost power to both engines shortly after takeoff. Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was hailed as a hero after he landed the powerless plane in the Hudson River and rescued all 155 people on board.
From CAA criticism to Kashmir rhetoric: India’s history of silence on Khamenei’s demise
NEW DELHI: India has stopped short of condemning the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei despite criticizing Iran’s attacks on Gulf states and calling for restraint, dialogue and de-escalation of tensions in West Asia.The calibrated response sparked a strong political reaction at home, with Congress president Sonia Gandhi describing the government’s silence as “abdication” rather than neutrality. She said in an opinion piece in the Indian Express that India’s lack of clear response to the killing “shows India’s acquiescence in this tragedy” and called for a discussion in parliament.
Government response: restraint rather than support
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) limited its public stance to urging “restraint, dialogue and de-escalation”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Gulf leaders including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan to condemn attacks on their territories and stressed the security of the nearly 10 million Indians living in the region.India did not condemn the US-Israeli attack that reportedly killed Khamenei, nor did it offer condolences. Government sources indicate that the sovereign response is guided by national interests, including energy security, diaspora welfare and strategic partnerships in the Gulf.
history of public criticism
Khamenei has repeatedly made comments on India’s domestic affairs over the past decade, triggering diplomatic protests from New Delhi.In 2017, he called on the Muslim world to support what he called the “oppressed Muslims of Kashmir.” After abrogating Article 370 in August 2019, he publicly urged India to adopt a “just policy” towards Kashmir, following which the MEA summoned the Iranian envoy.During the debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in January 2020, the speaker of Iran’s parliament criticized the law as “anti-Muslim discrimination”, while India rejected it as interference. In March 2020, during the Delhi riots, Khamenei tweeted that India should “confront extremist Hindus”, describing the violence as a “massacre of Muslims” and warning of “isolation from the Islamic world” using the hashtag #IndianMuslimsInDanger. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again summoned the Iranian ambassador.As recently as September 2024, Khamenei placed India alongside Myanmar and Gaza in social media posts, prompting official responses from the Middle East and Africa, which called the remarks “misleading and unacceptable.”
Priorities and strategic realignment in the Gulf region
India has stepped up its condemnation of Iran’s attacks on Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are major energy suppliers and home to large Indian communities. In separate remarks, Prime Minister Modi stressed the importance of restoring peace in the region and thanked Gulf leaders for ensuring the well-being of the Indian people.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke to his counterparts in all six GCC countries after the escalation of hostilities, underscoring India’s stake in regional stability.India’s strategic engagement with the Gulf region has deepened significantly over the past decade, covering areas such as energy, defence, maritime security and connectivity. This coincides with a relatively cautious approach to Tehran.
Iran’s past voting record
India’s Iran policy has evolved over time. Between 2005 and 2009, the Congress-led UPA government voted against Iran three times at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during negotiations for the India-US civilian nuclear deal. In 2022, the NDA government abstained from voting on a similar International Atomic Energy Agency resolution on Iran’s nuclear program.
Domestic political divisions
Sonia Gandhi believes that the assassination of a sitting head of state during ongoing negotiations marks a “serious rupture in contemporary international relations” and says India’s response raises “serious doubts” about the credibility of its foreign policy.The government has not responded directly to her comments. Indian officials insist that they have always called for peace and stability in the Middle East.As tensions rise in the region amid coordinated U.S. and Israeli attacks and Iranian retaliation, New Delhi has remained cautious in its public messaging, condemning attacks on its Gulf partners, avoiding direct comments about Tehran’s leadership and reaffirming its pro-diplomacy stance.
‘It would have been better if she had stayed in the safety of India’: Racist launches vicious attack on Texas victim Savitha Shan’s Indian heritage
Savitha Shan, 21, is a superstar student at the University of Texas and will graduate in May 2026. She majored in two majors, one in economics and the other in management information systems. But after she was shot and killed by a gunman on West Sixth Street in Austin, her race became a major topic on social media as many wondered what Shan was doing in Texas. “Had she stayed in safe India, she would still be alive,” one hate comment read. Another wrote: “No, in India she would have faced a slow, smelly death, electrocuted by live wires/falling into sewage-filled potholes/bitten by dogs… these are all ways she could have died here. At least she would have left in a second, which is better.”Savitha Sanmugasundram was born in the United States. She is also president of the university’s Indian Students Association and volunteers with the Austin Tamil Sangam.Another victim of the shooting was Ryder Harlingden. The vicious comments came in response to a post from sports writer Shehan Jeyarajah, in which he wrote: Two college students, two Texans, their lives are just getting started. Too bad.“Just because I can speak, it’s really hard for me to feel how close Savitha’s death was. Plan Two, the Indian Student Association, celebrated a night on Sixth Street. I live with a lot of friends. The South Asian population at UT is so vibrant. My heart aches for them,” Jeyarajah continued. Some social media users commented that instead of seeing two Texans, they could see a Texan and another Indian, etc. “Growing up in Austin, working hard, doing everything well, getting into a top program at one of the best universities in the world, thriving, being a completely innocent victim of a mass shooting, and even ‘it’ isn’t enough to make people stop disrespecting you. Even death is not enough,” Sheahan himself shouted to the trolls.Texas Republican Brandon Gill, an outspoken critic of immigration, said Savitha grew up in Austin and her killer should never have been allowed into the United States. Indo-Texan politician Burt Thakur posted, “Ride and Savitha rest in power.” Thakur wrote, “Two bright lights extinguished by terrorists.”
CM Rekha Gupta inaugurates NDMC’s two-day flower festival
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday inaugurated the NDMC’s two-day flower festival at Connaught Place, attracting visitors to the heart of the national capital to view colorful seasonal flowers and various floral-themed displays.The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) organized the festive celebrations at Connaught Place Central Park. The event started with a brief ceremony in which NDMC officials and citizens participated.Gupta congratulated the NDMC officials and said the committee has helped create a green and positive image of Delhi.“People used to go to Kashmir to take pictures with tulip flowers; now they don’t need to go there, there are ample tulips in central Delhi,” she said at the opening of the flower festival.“Whenever there is a major event, be it the G20 or the recent AI India Impact Summit, NDMC does a commendable job in keeping the area clean and planting thousands of tulip flowers,” CM Gupta said.She also urged other municipal bodies in Delhi to take inspiration from the NDMC on how to create more green spaces in the national capital.“NDMC has become a model citizen committee for creating green spaces in the country. We want the entire Delhi to become so green and vibrant,” the CM said on the occasion.If required, the Delhi government will send horticulture departments of other agencies to receive training from the NDMC, she added.The CM added that the Delhi government will provide all necessary resources to the NDMC to help in greening the entire city.Featuring a series of flower arrangements, landscape displays and gardening displays, the festival aims to promote urban gardening and green awareness.Officials said families, office workers and morning walkers stopped at the park throughout the day to view the display and take photos.NDMC officials said the festival will continue on March 4 and footfall is expected to be steady on both days as the venue remains open to the public.Officials said the annual event is part of the NDMC’s efforts to encourage people’s interest in gardening while adding a splash of color to the Connaught Place area in spring.
‘Israel is the boss’: Former MAGA ally Nick Fuentes slams Trump over Iran attacks, urges supporters to abandon Republican Party
A far-right figure once championed by MAGA is now urging his followers to abandon President Donald Trump and even vote for the Democratic Party.Far-right podcaster Nick Fuentes slammed Trump’s “soldiers are going to die” comment, claiming that’s what Trump said. He also said that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu With all the power of the United States. “Like Trump said on Friday, soldiers are going to die. OK, but who are they dying for? Who told them to die for what? Who? Whose decision is that? Is it the president elected by the people of the United States of America? Is it the CEO of our constitutional representative democratic government? Or the prime minister of Israel? What gives him the ability, the authority or the authority to do this?” Fuentes said. “Well, obviously, Netanyahu’s authority comes from the fact that our country is run by organized Jews. Jews have all the power in America. They are the gatekeepers, they are the middlemen. They have so much financial clout and political influence that they can’t object. Look at the media entities that were just created,” he added. The podcast also stated that the United States provides Israel with F35s, tolerates their nuclear program, and protects them in the international community from Security Council condemnation and sanctions from European countries, but they seem to be able to act alone. “The Israelis came to the White House and told our president, hey, this is how it is. We’re going in with you or without you. With you or without you. Who is the boss here? Who controls the relationship? Who is the superpower? Trump or Netanyahu? Of course, we all know Israel is the boss. Israel now controls our country. Now you know that’s a fact,” he said. He also asked people not to vote Republican in the midterm elections. “What has this administration done besides covering up Epstein’s dossier, diverting funds through government contracts, and making us go to war for Israel,” Fuentes, who has been accused of anti-Semitism, continued. This government needs to be shut down immediately. Don’t vote in the midterms, and if you do, vote Democratic, fuck that,” Fuentes said.
Apple MacBook Air M5 launched: More storage, more performance and a higher price
Apple’s MacBook Air has received its annual refresh, now powered by the M5 chipset with more storage and improved connectivity. However, its price has increased approx. $20,000.
Launched alongside MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chipsets, the focus here is the MacBook Air M5. Here’s everything you need to know about its pricing, availability, and more.
Apple MacBook Air M5 price, availability in India
Like last year, the MacBook Air comes in two sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch, and the laptop will be available for pre-order starting March 4. The 13-inch model of MacBook Air M5 starts at $1,19,900 or $The education version is priced at 1,08,900 and the 15-inch version starts at $1,44,900 or $1,33,900 for education. The laptops are available in Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. They will be available from March 11 at official Apple stores, the Apple online store and Apple authorized resellers.
What’s new in the MacBook Air M5?
The MacBook Air M5 comes with the new M5 chipset, which according to Apple features a faster CPU and next-generation GPU with a Neural Engine on each core. It comes with up to 10-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU, and Apple says it can perform AI tasks four times better than the MacBook Air with the M4 chipset. It’s also 9.5 times faster than the MacBook Air with the M1 chipset, its first internal chip for a laptop, to perform AI tasks.
Apple says it also has faster unified memory at 153GB per second, a 28% improvement over the M4. In addition to this, Apple has doubled the starting storage capacity of the M5 Air and offers a faster SSD. MacBook Air M5 storage now starts at 512GB instead of 256GB, and can be configured with up to a 4TB SSD. Apple also said that the new SSD’s read and write speeds are twice as fast as the previous generation.
Apple claims battery life of up to 18 hours. The 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch models feature Liquid Retina displays with 500 nits brightness. The laptop continues to feature a 12MP Center Stage camera that supports desktop view. It also comes with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Apple wireless network chip N1.
Is there a lot of sarcasm? This British Jewish billionaire wants to move to Germany over Britain’s ‘anti-Semitic’ stance News of the World
It was a turn of history that few expected. A Cardiff-born Jewish billionaire whose parents fled Nazi Germany now says he is seeking German citizenship because he feels uneasy about life in the UK. Sir Michael Moritz, one of the UK’s richest businessmen and a veteran Silicon Valley investor, described the UK as “an uncomfortable place for Jews today”, arguing that anti-Semitism feels more visible and more socially tolerated than many would like to admit.Moritz, whose grandparents were murdered in the Holocaust, said his decision to apply for a German passport was less about relocation and more about peace of mind. He believes that Germany has made Holocaust commemoration the core of its citizenship. The symbolism is amazing. In his view, the country that once deported his family is now undergoing a deeper institutional reckoning with anti-Semitism than he sees in modern Britain.
Billionaires Influenced by Jewish History
Born in Cardiff in 1954, Moritz rose to prominence at Sequoia Capital, backing early investments in Google and Yahoo during the dot-com boom. His financial success made him the richest Welshman in history, but his memoirs, The Australian, reveal a man with a deep sense of identity and exile.His grandparents, Max and Minnie Moritz, were killed in the Holocaust. Through archival research, he discovered that relatives were photographed by the Gestapo during their deportations. His parents fled to England and rebuilt their lives in Wales. Even in Cardiff, however, he recalls a distinctly different feeling, describing how his surname appeared alone in the phone book, a silent reminder of his specialness.
Britain’s anti-Semitism debate
Moritz’s comments come as anti-Semitism is hotly debated in the UK. Reports of anti-Semitic abuse, vandalism and threats have reached record levels in recent years, particularly during conflicts in the Middle East, according to the Community Safety Trust, which monitors anti-Semitic incidents.The 2025 attack on a synagogue in Manchester’s Heaton Park area marked a particularly shocking moment, prompting police to step up security at Jewish schools and places of worship. Jewish community leaders warn that some families feel heightened anxiety about visible expressions of identity, such as wearing religious symbols associated with Jewish institutions or school uniforms.Moritz believes that more than the statistics, it’s the atmosphere that unnerves him. In his view, casual remarks, hostility on social media and the notion that anti-Semitism can be minimized or redefined in political debates all contribute to a sense of unease.
Immigration, ideology and political fault lines
His comments were also intertwined with the fierce political debate unfolding in Britain. Opposition figures accuse the current Labor government of allowing Britain to be too lax on immigrants and not tough enough on extremist networks. A record number of small boats crossing the English Channel has fueled the debate, with critics arguing border enforcement has failed to stop irregular arrivals.Many of those arriving by small boats come from crises in Muslim-majority countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. This fuels claims by some politicians that the government is too cautious in addressing Islamic radicalization and too hesitant to directly confront ideological extremism. Security services continue to warn that Islamic extremism remains a major national security concern, along with far-right extremism.Opposition MPs accused the government of allowing the UK to become a “safe haven” for extremists, although they pointed to counter-terrorism legislation, deportations and intelligence operations. Yet the battle for perception continues, and immigration has become one of the country’s most politically volatile issues.In an already combustible environment, Moritz’s comments about feeling uneasy about being a Jew in Britain were interpreted by some as part of wider anxieties about social cohesion, border controls and the direction of the country.
Why Germany now?
Germany, by contrast, has integrated Holocaust commemoration into its legal and educational framework. Denying the Holocaust is a criminal offense and school curricula explicitly confront Nazi-era crimes. Since 2021, the citizenship law has been expanded, allowing more descendants of those persecuted between 1933 and 1945 to regain German citizenship.For Moritz, institutional recognition provides what he calls a form of insurance. He doesn’t think Germany is free of anti-Semitism, but he thinks Germany’s modern national identity is rooted in confronting that history, rather than avoiding it.
ironic and disturbing symbolism
The irony at the heart of the story explains its resonance. A Jewish descendant of a Holocaust victim seeks German citizenship because he feels uneasy in Britain, forcing him to make jarring comparisons between the past and the present.Whether one agrees with Moritz’s assessment or thinks it is overblown, his decision highlights a deeper unease that exists among parts of Britain’s Jewish community. It also reveals how debates over immigration, ideology and minority protection are increasingly intertwined with questions of belonging.History doesn’t repeat itself, but in Moritz’s case, it seems to have come full circle in a way that few imagined.
US-Iran war: Indian students evacuate Tehran
New Delhi: The Indian Embassy in Tehran has relocated most Indian students out of the Iranian capital as continued US-Iran hostilities heighten risk perceptions. The Indian Embassy in Iran said in a statement that it had moved most Indian students in Tehran to safer locations outside the city. The mission arranged transportation, food and accommodation for them.
“Due to the heightened risk awareness in the city of Tehran, the Indian Embassy has relocated most of the Indian students in Tehran to safer locations outside Tehran. The embassy has made arrangements for their transportation, food and accommodation,” the statement said.A handful of students who declined the embassy’s invitation remain in Tehran, officials said.For other Indian students and nationals still in Iran, the previously issued advice remains unchanged. The embassy urged them to stay put, stay indoors if possible and away from windows. It also advised Indian nationals to exercise caution, avoid protest or demonstration areas and maintain regular contact with the embassy.The mission has launched an emergency helpline for Indian nationals in Iran and reiterated that it is closely monitoring the security situation following the escalation of military action between the United States and Iran.India has so far called on the region to exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions while prioritizing the safety of its citizens.