Month: March 2026

Bihar on Thursday witnessed a huge political transition as incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha in Patna in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Apart from Nitish Kumar, other NDA candidates, including Upendra Kushwaha and BJP Chief Nitin Nabin, also filed their nominations for the Upper House.

Nitish Kumar, who has served as Bihar’s longest-tenured Chief Minister for over two decades, earlier announced that he would be heading to the Rajya Sabha and would file his nomination in the current election cycle. The 75-year-old also said that the new Cabinet would have his full support.

“I seek to become a member of the Rajya Sabha in the elections being held this time. I want to assure you with complete honesty that my relationship with you will continue in the future as well, and my resolve to work together with you to build a developed Bihar will remain steadfast. The new government that will be formed will have my full cooperation and guidance,” Nitish Kumar posted on X.

Nitish Kumar’s announcement attracted reactions, with the opposition once again reiterating their allegations regarding BJP’s willingness to remove him from CM position.

Tejashwi Yadav, on Thursday launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar confirmed filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat, saying that his “hijack” allegation proved to be true.

Speaking to ANI, Tejashwi Yadav accused the BJP of using “tricks” against Nitish Kumar, defying their election slogan ‘2025 se 30 phir se Nitish’.

He said, “Everyone knows that in the Bihar elections, the NDA had given this slogan ‘2025 se 30 phir se Nitish’. The BJP and NDA’s constituent parties know how the elections were conducted with the use of tricks, tantra-mantra, and the entire system in place. Even at that time, we had said that the BJP people had ‘hijacked’ Nitish Kumar and they won’t let him sit on the chair again. We had said that he won’t stay in the chair for more than six months.”

Further, he said that Nitish Kumar’s move to the Centre is against the sentiments of the people of Bihar.

“The BJP has a history of ruining whoever it has allied with. The BJP is an anti-OBC, anti-Dalit, and anti-tribal party. They (the BJP) don’t want a leader in Bihar who speaks for OBCs or Dalits; they want some ‘rubber stamp chief minister.’ This power change that’s happening is against the sentiments of the people. People know the BJP’s tricks and character. We have also worked with Nitish Kumar, but most of the time we were in the opposition. On January 28, 2024, when they (JDU) left us and went away, we had said even then that the BJP would finish them off. We have full sympathy for them; for his service to Bihar, we also want to thank him,” Tejashwi Yadav added.

Speaking to reporters today, Tejashwi Yadav said, “I always said ‘Nitish ji ko ghoda toh chadaya hai dulha banake lekin phera kisi aur ke sath dila raha hai’. The BJP has completely hijacked Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar has said that he wants to go to the (Rajya Sabha) House. We have been saying this from the beginning that after the elections, the BJP people will not let Nitish Kumar remain in the post of Chief Minister. Today, that statement has come true.” (ANI)

Wedding festivities for cricketer Arjun Tendulkar and businesswoman Saaniya Chandhok began in grand style in Mumbai on Thursday, drawing a guest list from India’s cricketing, business, and film industries.

The son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali Tendulkar is tying the knot with Chandhok, the granddaughter of noted industrialist Ravi Ghai.

The ceremony on March 5 has become one of the most talked-about celebrity weddings of the year, with several prominent figures expected to attend the celebrations.

Among the early arrivals were Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who reached the venue together and briefly posed for photographers gathered outside.

For the occasion, Aishwarya chose an elegant blue anarkali ensemble, while Abhishek complemented her look with a black kurta paired with white trousers. The couple smiled and acknowledged the cameras before heading inside to join the celebrations.

Several other celebrities from the entertainment industry were also spotted arriving at the venue.

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra attended the ceremony with his family, while music composer Shankar Mahadevan arrived with his wife in matching coloured outfits.

Actor Farhan Akhtar also arrived at the wedding, wearing a ivory kurta-jacket set.

Actor Aarti Singh attended the event with her husband, and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker was among the other prominent guests present at the wedding.

The wedding is expected to bring together several leading names from cricket, politics, business, and Bollywood.

On March 3, the family came together for a pre-wedding ceremony with high-profile guests and cricket icons like Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, and Ravi Shastri bringing in more glamour to the evening.

Earlier in February, Sachin Tendulkar and Anjali Tendulkar met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence, Nandanvan, in Mumbai and extended an invitation for the wedding ceremony of his son.

Sachin Tendulkar has also extended invitations to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for the wedding celebrations.

Arjun and Saaniya got engaged in August last year. (ANI)

President Donald Trump has said that the United States is doing “very well” in the ongoing ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran, rating the war efforts against Tehran as 15 on a scale of 10.

Trump’s comments came amid escalating tensions following the February 28 US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures.

He asserted that American forces had performed beyond expectations in the opening days of the conflict.

Speaking during a roundtable at the White House on Wednesday (local time), Trump said, “We’re doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly. I would say — somebody said on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said about a 15.”

The President asserted that Washington was in a “very strong position” in the conflict with Iran. He declared that US operations had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.

“We’re going to continue to do well. We have the greatest military in the world by far and that was a tremendous threat to us for many years. Forty-seven years they’ve been killing our people and killing people all over the world and we have great support,” he said.

Trump reiterated his long-standing criticism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal done during Barack Obama, which he labelled “one of the worst deals ever made”, and said terminating it during his previous term prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“I think if we didn’t do it first, they would have done it to Israel and give us a shot if that was possible. If we didn’t terminate one of the worst deals ever made, the Obama nuclear deal – I call it the Obama nuclear deal – where he gave everything to Iran, including a nuclear weapon – it was a road to a nuclear weapon – bad things would have happened four years ago. ‘Cos they would have had a weapon four years ago if I didn’t terminate that deal,” he added.

“So, we’re in a very strong position now and their (Iran’s) leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody who seems to want to be a leader ends up dead. It’s an amazing thing that’s taking place before your eyes because for 47 years we were pushed around and we shouldn’t have been,” he further added.

Arguing that pre-emptive action was necessary, Trump stated, “I think if we didn’t do it first, they would have done it to Israel and give us a shot if that was possible.” He claimed that recent operations had rapidly degraded Iran’s military capabilities.

“Their [Iran’s] missiles are being wiped out rapidly. Their launchers are being wiped out. They’re attacking their neighbours, they’re attacking – in some cases, their allies, or not so long ago allies,” he added.

Trump also pointed to the impact of past actions, pointing to the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and what he described as “complete obliteration of their nuclear potential” by US B-2 bombers, saying, “When crazy people have nuclear weapons, bad things happen.”

“We’re in a very strong position now and their leadership is just rapidly going. Everybody who seems to want to be a leader ends up dead,” Trump added.

Turning to Venezuela, Trump described relations with the government and representatives there as “really great,” and said Washington was “taking out hundreds of millions of barrels of oil” for mutual benefit, asserting that Venezuelans would “be doing better than they’ve ever done before.”

“Venezuela worked out really great. We have a wonderful relationship with the president and the various representatives and we’re taking out hundreds of millions of barrels of oil and that goes to our benefit and to Venezuela’s benefit. They’ll be doing better than they’ve ever done before and we will get a big piece of that and we’ll also make life wonderful for the people of Venezuela who have been very, very badly hit,” he added.

Trump credited the rebuilding of the US military during his first term for enabling current operations and said, “We’re using it a little bit more than I thought we would have to.”

The President’s remarks come as the US-Israel-led conflict with Iran has drawn widespread global tension.

The US and Israel in coordinated airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28, targeted military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure. These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran also retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in the Middle East and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)

Voting for Nepal’s 2026 general election commenced on Thursday, with citizens across the capital turning out to exercise their franchise. This high-stakes poll follows a period of intense political upheaval, triggered by the unprecedented “Gen Z movement” in September that ousted the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government and resulted in the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

The Election Commission, bolstered by the Sushila Karki administration, confirmed that all logistical hurdles have been cleared to facilitate the transition to an elected government after a six-month interim period.

According to a report by The Kathmandu Post, the groundwork for these elections was laid on September 12, when Karki, in her debut act as executive head, recommended the house dissolution to President Ramchandra Paudel.

“All the arrangements for free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections are in place,” stated acting chief election commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari. He further “urged everyone to exercise their franchise without fear” during the 10-hour voting window, which spans from 7 am until 5 pm.

Visuals from the Annapurna Vinayak School polling centre showed early voters lining up as the process got underway, with former mayor and popular rapper Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah among those casting their ballots.

Data indicates a significant demographic shift, with a total of 18,903,689 registered voters–an increase of over 915,000 since 2022. The Kathmandu Post highlighted that 52 per cent of these voters are aged between 18 and 40, placing the decisive power largely in the hands of the youth.

These voters will determine the future of 6,541 candidates competing for 275 seats in the House of Representatives.

Under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, 2,263 candidates represent 65 different parties, while 1,143 are running as independents.

However, gender representation remains skewed in the direct elections, featuring 3,017 men and only 388 women, with a single candidate representing the sexual and gender minority community.

To maintain order, security remains a top priority with a massive mobilisation of 341,113 personnel. This force includes 149,000 temporary “election police” recruited specifically for this 40-day period.

The Kathmandu Post noted that a Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Karki on Wednesday concluded that the current arrangements would likely make this election more transparent and peaceful than previous cycles.

“No force can disrupt the election,” Bhandari asserted, expressing confidence that the surge in young voters would boost turnout and reduce the number of invalid ballots.

Historically, voter participation in Nepal has averaged 69.4 per cent since 2006, and officials are now aiming to surpass the low 61.4 per cent turnout seen in 2022.

To expedite the process, authorities plan to use helicopters to transport ballot boxes from remote hilly regions.

As per The Kathmandu Post, the commission intends to begin publishing FPTP results “within 24 hours after vote counting begins.” (ANI)

Former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan celebrated Holi with full enthusiasm and energy with his wife, Sophie Shine, family members, and friends.

Taking to Instagram, Shikhar dropped several pictures, showcasing the Dhawans’ Holi masti. In the visuals, the newlyweds Shikhar and Sophie could be seen dancing to the beats of dhol.

“Holi wali masti,” he captioned the post.

The festival marks Shikhar’s and Sophie’s first Holi post-wedding. The two tied the knot on February 21.

The couple shared heartwarming glimpses from their wedding ceremony, giving fans a sneak peek into the joyous moments of their special day.

Both Shikhar and Sophie looked stunning in Manish Malhotra’s outfit. Taking to Instagram handle, Shikhar wrote “Mr. & Mrs. Dhawan”

As per reports, Shikhar Dhawan and Sophie Shine have been dating for a while. They also confirmed their relationship by sharing a post captioned, “My love,” with a red heart emoji. Since then, they often share adorable pictures and reels with each other on social media.

Earlier, Shikhar was married to Ayesha Mukherjee and had a son named Zoravar. In October 2023, they parted ways after eight years of marriage. (ANI)

The US Senate has voted down a War Powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s military action, ‘Operation Epic Fury’, against Iran, with the measure failing 47-53 on mostly party lines, Fox News reported.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday (local time) closed ranks behind President Donald Trump, dealing him a crucial political victory by defeating Democrats-led resolution intended to rein in his military actions in Iran despite lingering questions about America’s involvement in the Middle East.

The US Senate shot down a resolution from Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran, following days of speculation about whether Republicans would cross the aisle, as they have done before, to reprimand the President. The administration pushed hard to lobby support for Operation Epic Fury, holding several briefings with Congress to make its case, Fox News reported.

Only Senator Rand Paul voted in favour of the resolution, while Jon Fetterman was the lone Democrat to cross the aisle in support of a move that helped the GOP defeat the measure. Democrats argued that Trump’s actions were another instance of him disregarding Congress’ authority to use military force, that they lacked a clear strategy going forward and, further, that they were yet another campaign promise he had broken, Fox News reported.

“It’s time for the president to keep promises, not break them,” Kaine said ahead of the vote. Fox News reported Democrats also seized on the administration’s refusal to rule out sending US troops into Iran.

“They refuse to take off the table the insertion of ground troops,” said Senator Chris Murphy, warning the conflict could expand beyond air and naval operations. Sen. Josh Hawley, who previously supported a resolution to rein in Trump’s war powers in Venezuela, said he would oppose the latest effort.

“I’ve always said that committing ground troops would be something I think would require immediate congressional authorisation, but that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon,” Hawley said.

Fox News reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the goalposts kept moving for the administration, which he said was a clear sign that “a strategy is missing.”

Republicans countered that the President acted within his constitutional authority as commander in chief.

Fox News reported Sen. Lindsey Graham called the War Powers Act “an unconstitutional shift of authority from the President,” arguing Congress retains the ability to restrict funding if it disagrees with military action.

“We don’t need 535 commanders in chief,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, arguing against the legislation. Fox News reported that there was also fatigue among some in the GOP over Kaine’s repeated efforts to reassert congressional authority in conflicts.

Republicans privately huddled Tuesday to discuss the strikes and the upcoming war powers vote ahead of their briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

American voters are evenly divided over the current US military action against Iran, even as a clear majority views the Gulf country as a national security threat, according to a Fox News national survey.

Overall, the polls showed that eight in 10 Republicans approve of the current US use of force, while nearly 8 in 10 Democrats disapprove and 6 in 10 independents disapprove. Among voters who have served in the military, 59 per cent approve of the US strikes on Iran.

The poll found 61 per cent of registered voters believe Iran poses “a real national security threat” to the United States, a figure largely consistent with previous Fox News surveys dating back to 2006. The exception was last June, when concern spiked to 73 per cent just before the US military mission against Iranian nuclear facilities known as Operation Midnight Hammer.

Fox News said that, despite those concerns, support for the current US strikes, launched jointly with Israel under “Operation Epic Fury”, is evenly split, with 50 per cent approving and 50 per cent disapproving. All interviews for the survey were conducted after the strikes began.

The conflict in the Middle East has entered its sixth day following the February 28 US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other key figures. In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases in Gulf nations and other Israeli assets across the region. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday expressed joy after securing 28 assembly seats from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), along with one seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

“This is a very happy moment for us. We have received 28 seats from the DMK, and I sincerely thank all our national and state leaders who made this possible. The alliance would strongly oppose divisive and fascist forces,” he said.

This comes after the second round of seat-sharing talks ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which took place on Wednesday. The DMK and the Congress Party agreed that Congress will contest 28 Assembly constituencies and will be allocated one seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

In a statement, party leaders said that the decision came following the meeting between the DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai.

“With regard to the upcoming 2026 Legislative Assembly General Elections, a meeting was held today (04-03-2026) between the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Hon’ble Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, K. Selvaperunthagai, to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. It was decided that the Congress Party, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, will contest in 28 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. It was also agreed that one seat will be allocated to the Congress Party in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election,” the statement read.

The announcement comes after a second round of seat-sharing talks at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, attended by the Seat Sharing Committee of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee led by AICC Election In-charge Girish Chodankar, along with senior leaders, including Congress Legislature Party Leader Rajesh Kumar and AICC Secretary Nivedit Alva.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the incumbent MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the ‘Dravidian Model 2.0’ for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.

While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats. (ANI)

A senior Iranian official said on Wednesday that Tehran would hold a public ceremony for citizens to pay their respects following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, France 24 reported, citing state media.

Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Council, said the farewell ceremony would continue for three days, and the funeral procession would be announced later.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall starting at 10 pm (1830 GMT) on Wednesday, but was “postponed”, state media said, without elaborating further, as per France 24.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai stated that Iran has not selected any candidates for leadership.

The Consulate said in a post on X, “Reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said on Wednesday that the US and Israel bear full responsibility for this latest escalation.

In a post on X, the MFA said, “Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova: It is clear that the geography of armed confrontation – triggered by the US-Israeli aggression against Iran – continues to spread across the Middle East. Washington & Tel Aviv bear full responsibility for this latest escalation.”

“From the very first day of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, Russia has been conducting active diplomatic efforts. The President of Russia has already held phone calls with several Arab leaders, while our Foreign Minister spoke with his counterparts,” the MFA further quoted Zakharova as saying.

She further called the IAEA to find the exact scale of potential radiological risks after the attacks on Iran.

“Zakharova: We expect the IAEA leadership to find the resolve to respond clearly to the lawlessness committed by the US & Israel in Iran, providing an impartial assessment of potential radiological risks. Attempts to downplay the scale of this real threat are unacceptable.”

Zakharova also questioned the deaths of children in Iran caused by the strikes.

“Zakharova: President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen says the people of Iran have gained “new hope for the future”, justifying the removal of the legitimate leaders of sovereign states. How many innocents – including children – must be killed for this “hope”? It’s a non-question; they simply don’t care.”

“The latest escalation in the Middle East has once again exposed the EU’s inability to play a meaningful role in international affairs, & its complete subordination to Washington. The EU has failed even to reach a common position on how to respond to the crisis,” she added.

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, said that the death of so many American troops is against America’s narrative of ‘America first’.

In a post on X, he said, “Mr. Trump, with Netanyahu’s clownish antics, dragged the American people into an unfair war with Iran. Now let him do the math: with over 500 American troops killed (in these past few days), is it still “America First,” or “Israel First”? The saga continues. The martyrdom of Imam Khamenei will exact a heavy price from you. God willing.”

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also on Wednesday denounced the attempt to target Turkiye with an Iranian ballistic missile.

“OIC General Secretariat expresses its denunciation of the attempt to target the Republic of Turkiye with an Iranian ballistic missile.”

Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has travelled to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure guarantees on oil and natural gas imports, amid a dispute over damage to the Druzhba pipeline. The minister warned that the world is facing an energy crisis because of the war in Iran.

Europe’s gas coordination group has met in Brussels. They said there is no immediate threat, but they are deeply concerned about the situation that is continuing to escalate in the Middle East. They’re going to watch a number of things, apart from the prolongation of the conflict, such as how far the damage goes and how much it’s going to affect the supply lines, Al Jazeera reported.

The conflict has not directly impacted the supply of gas or oil to Europe yet, but it’s going to have an impact in the long run when it pushes prices further up. The Qataris have now stopped producing liquefied natural gas, and the largest oil refinery in Saudi Arabia has also stopped working, as per Al Jazeera.

Greek frigates arrived in Cyprus as countries sent air-defence forces.

Meanwhile, MEA cautioned against falling prey to fake news and said that Indian ports were not being used for attacks against Iran.

“Fake News Alert! Claims being made on OAN, a US-based channel, that Indian ports are being used by the US Navy are fake and false. We caution you against such baseless and fabricated comments.”

The number of people killed in five days of US-Israeli attacks against Iran has topped 1,000, state media says, as quoted by Al Jazeera. (ANI)

On Wednesday, newlyweds Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda hosted a grand reception that saw the presence of several prominent figures from the film industry and the political fraternity.

For the occasion, the couple chose traditional ensembles that paid homage to their heritage. Rashmika exuded regal elegance in an exquisite red Mysore silk saree from the label JADE by MK, while Vijay complemented her in a classic veshti and angavastram paired with an ivory silk kurta, embracing timeless tradition.

Rashmika’s custom saree was hand-woven by the weavers at Madhurya.

As an ode to her roots, the Gandabherunda motif was gracefully woven into the ensemble. The Gandabherunda, a mythical two-headed bird deeply embedded in South Indian history and emblematic of Karnataka, symbolises immense strength, authority, and vigilance.

Rashmika elevated her look with gold jewellery and a braid adorned with flowers. The makeup looked very graceful, beautifully accentuated with a bindi and sindoor.

Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda got married on February 26 in Udaipur in the presence of their close friends and family members.

A few days before they exchanged their vows, the couple met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to extend wedding invite to them.

Last week, taking to her X handle, Rashmika shared pictures from the meeting when she and Vijay visited PM Modi and invited him for their wedding. “Meeting Honourable Prime Minister @narendramodi sir and spending time talking about our culture and history was so special. The sweetest surprise was the thoughtful letter he wrote to my parents. Some moments just stay with you forever.”

The ‘Pushpa’ actor also shared images from their meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing gratitude on receiving a beautiful Ganesh idol from the leader.”Had the honour of meeting the Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah Sir. Grateful for the beautiful Ganesh idol that now has a special place in our home,” she wrote. (ANI)