US judge blocks Trump administration from overhauling federal elections
US District Judge Denise Casper in Boston issued a preliminary injunction at the behest of 19 Democratic-led states who argued the president lacked the authority to mandate changes to federal elections and the states' voting procedures.
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Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Significant damage': Iran breaches Iron Dome, strikes Israel's 'Pentagon' in Tel Aviv
Iran launched a powerful retaliatory strike late Friday night, targeting one of Israel's most heavily guarded military sites, the Kirya compound in Tel Aviv, following Israel's Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Kirya, often referred to as Israel's version of the Pentagon, houses the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) general staff, the ministry of defence, and critical military command and intelligence units. It also includes Camp Rabin, named after former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and is considered vital for Israel's national security operations. According to reports, Iran fired a barrage of missiles at the Tel Aviv-based military complex, striking deep into Israel's defence infrastructure. Israel's well-known Iron Dome air defence system failed to stop the targeted attack launched by the Khamenei-led Islamic Republic. The New York Times verified alarming social media footage showing a missile slamming into the area, causing what was described as "significant damage." "This is Israel's version of the Pentagon, the Kiryat, and the building on this compound was just hit," Fox News reported. "There is significant damage." The dramatic videos showed Israel's air defence systems firing interceptors into the night sky moments before a large explosion lit up central Tel Aviv. One of the warheads appears to have penetrated Israel's defences and struck a sensitive command site. Fox News correspondent on the ground described the incoming attack as a "massive amount" of Iranian ballistic missiles, forcing them to take cover during the live report. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "These ballistic missiles make the rockets that were being fired from Gaza look like toys," the correspondent said, adding that Iran used around 150 ballistic missiles to hit residential areas and military facilities in and around Tel Aviv. The IDF has not officially confirmed that its headquarters were struck but released footage showing Iran firing waves of ballistic missiles into Israeli territory. "The IDF cannot, and will not, allow Iran to attack our civilians," the military said in a post on X. Iran's targeting of the Kirya marks a major escalation in the ongoing conflict, as the site is one of the most sensitive and strategically important in the country, coordinating military planning, intelligence, and operational command.
New Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Cities brace for large crowds at anti-Trump 'No Kings' demonstrations across the US
PHILADELPHIA: Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the U.S. against President Donald Trump, as officials urge calm, National Guard troops mobilize and Trump attends a military parade in Washington to mark the Army's 250th anniversary. A flagship 'No Kings' march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., where the military parade will take place on Trump's birthday The demonstrations are gaining additional fuel from protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump's Guard deployment 'an alarming abuse of power' that "shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.' Governors and city officials vowed to protect the right to protest and to show no tolerance for violence. Republican governors in Virginia, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri are mobilizing National Guard troops to help law enforcement manage demonstrations. There will be 'zero tolerance' for violence, destruction or disrupting traffic, and "if you violate the law, you're going to be arrested," Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters Friday. In Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe issued a similar message, vowing to take a proactive approach and not to 'wait for chaos to ensue." Nebraska's governor on Friday also signed an emergency proclamation for activating his state's National Guard, a step his office called 'a precautionary measure in reaction to recent instances of civil unrest across the country.' Organizers say that one march will go to the gates of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis warned demonstrators that the 'line is very clear' and not to cross it. Governors also urged calm. On social media, Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, called for peaceful protests over the weekend, to ensure Trump doesn't send military to the state. 'Donald Trump wants to be able to say that we cannot handle our own public safety in Washington state,' Ferguson said. In a statement Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, urged 'protestors to remain peaceful and calm as they exercise their First Amendment right to make their voices heard.' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said his administration and state police are working with police in Philadelphia ahead of what organizers estimate could be a crowd approaching 100,000 people. Philadelphia's top prosecutor, District Attorney Larry Krasner, warned that anyone coming to Philadelphia to break the law or immigration agents exceeding their authority will face arrest. He invoked civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as a guide for demonstrators. 'If you are doing what Martin Luther King would have done, you're going to be fine," Krasner told a news conference. Some law enforcement agencies announced they were ramping up efforts for the weekend. In California, state troopers will be on 'tactical alert," which means all days off are cancelled for all officers.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
What Telangana Congress doesn't realise: There can be no social justice if it excludes Muslims
The recent cabinet expansion in Telangana displays an uncomfortable yet recurring pattern in our politics — the exclusion of Muslims from the executive domain, even by those who profess the ideals of social justice, inclusion, and secularism. The Congress government has made the cabinet expansion a corrective exercise, addressing historical imbalances by inducting leaders from the Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes. Yet, not a single Muslim representative got a cabinet berth. No matter how strategic or circumstantial it might be, this omission demands deeper scrutiny. Muslims comprise nearly 13 per cent of the state's population. From Hyderabad's old quarters to the lanes of Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, and Adilabad, the Muslim community is deeply embedded in the fabric of the state's urban economy, cultural life, educational landscape, and civic engagement. And yet, when it comes to the higher-ups of governance, Muslims are mostly invisible. Why are Muslims, despite their demographic weight and active civic presence, rarely viewed as legitimate stakeholders in the political power structure? In Telangana politics, the total absence or lack of presence of Muslims in the power positions has been a recurring factor. During the TRS (now BRS) regimes from 2014 to 2023, there were only eight Muslim legislators in the 119-member Assembly — seven from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and only one from the TRS. This limited numerical presence certainly restricted the community's bargaining power within the ruling party. Still, the TRS leadership accommodated a Muslim voice — Mahmood Ali — by nominating him through the Legislative Council. He was entrusted with portfolios such as Revenue and Home. While symbolic, this move indicated that constitutional mechanisms could be creatively used to ensure representation even when direct electoral entry was limited. In stark contrast, the Congress-led dispensation today appears either disinterested or indifferent to even tokenistic inclusion. The absence of elected Muslim MLAs shouldn't serve as a justification for their complete erasure from the cabinet. The Congress still has the option to use the Legislative Council route to nominate a competent Muslim leader. That this path has not even been considered suggests something more than mere oversight; it points toward a lack of intent and commitment. Is this merely political pragmatism, or is it a quiet but deliberate erasure, driven by deeper unease about accommodating Muslims? Is it fear of right-wing backlash that has made inclusion of Muslims, even by the secular parties, an electoral liability? If symbolic representation is even compromised, what is left of the constitutional promise of inclusion? The Congress party is often regarded as the last bulwark against the tide of majoritarianism. But increasingly, its practices echo the very forces it claims to resist. While caste-based representation is paraded as progress, religion-based exclusion is normalised. Is it a vision of social justice, or merely a political convenience? The Telangana cabinet reshuffle forces us to confront a troubling reality: The rise of a new model of social justice that is inclusive in optics but exclusionary in substance. Undoubtedly, the inclusion of marginalised Dalit sub-castes like Madigas and Malas, as well as diverse OBC communities, into the cabinet marks progress. But when Muslims, many of whom are part of the BC-E category and share similar socioeconomic vulnerabilities, are left out entirely, this is neither inclusion nor structural justice. It is selective accommodation. It reduces social justice from a moral imperative to a tactical arithmetic aimed at appeasing dominant narratives. Worse still is how such exclusion is slowly being normalised in the political mainstream. The argument that Muslims can be compensated with positions on minority commissions or cultural boards is no longer tenable. These are peripheral roles with minimal policy leverage. Real power resides in cabinet portfolios, budgetary decisions, and departmental direction. Exclusion of the second largest community group from these power positions cultivates a political culture where Muslims are expected to be loyal campaigners, festive participants, and background supporters — but not leaders. The silence of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is also shocking. There has been no reprimand of the state unit, no public acknowledgement of the exclusion, and certainly no course correction. What message does this send to Muslims elsewhere in India, who seem to still consider Congress as a secular alternative to the BJP? The Congress still has time to reverse this message. Inclusion of a Muslim leader in the cabinet through the legislative council route would show that Indian secularism is not just about tolerance, it is about participation. Social justice that excludes Muslims isn't social justice at all — it's a number game masquerading as equity. And no arithmetic built on exclusion can ever become an example for the nation — it can only serve as a cautionary tale. The writer teaches Political Science at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad
