NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of attempting to manipulate West Bengal’s electoral roll ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.Addressing a rally in Balurghat in support of TMC candidate Arpita Ghosh, Banerjee alleged a “conspiracy to change Bengal’s demography”, claiming that voters from BJP-ruled states were being brought into the state. “Efforts are being made to ensure that the people of Bengal cannot exercise their democratic rights. Voters are being brought into different parts of Bengal from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” he said, adding that he had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.The TMC national general secretary also turned his fire on the BJP’s governance record in Balurghat, represented by a BJP MP and MLA for over five years. Without naming Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, he challenged the party to present a “report card”. “No one has experienced the so-called double-engine government more than the people of Balurghat… yet they have not been able to bring even 10 paise of additional funds or development,” he said.Banerjee contrasted this with the state government’s welfare schemes, pointing to initiatives such as Lakshmir Bhandar, Pathashree and Yuva Sathi. He claimed that benefits under these schemes had reached people directly, adding that funds under Yuva Sathi were transferred within 15 days of announcement. Taking aim at BJP promises to expand financial assistance schemes, he said, “I challenge them to first implement such a scheme in any BJP-ruled state… if they can do that, I will stop campaigning for the TMC.”The attack was echoed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who alleged that the BJP was attempting to include “illegal voters” from states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana in Bengal’s electoral rolls. She claimed that thousands of applications had been submitted in a single day and accused the party of using similar tactics elsewhere.Mamata Banerjee also accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission and deleting names of genuine voters, particularly women and minorities, during the revision process. She described the exercise as “illegal, unconstitutional and fundamentally undemocratic”, warning that people would resist any attempt to “squeeze in illegal voters”.

US stock markets moved sharply higher on Tuesday as investors cheered signs of possible de-escalation in the Middle East conflict, even as major indexes remain on track for their steepest monthly declines in years.At 10:05 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 627.92 points, or 1.39%, to 45,844.06. The S&P 500 gained 103.78 points, or 1.64%, to 6,447.50, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 432.71 points, or 2.08%, to 21,227.35, reported Reuters.Market sentiment improved after a Wall Street Journal report said US President Donald Trump had indicated willingness to end the military campaign against Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed.The development eased investor concerns after weeks of volatility triggered by the conflict, which has pushed the S&P 500 and the Dow toward their largest monthly losses since September 2022. The benchmark index is also on track for its weakest quarterly performance since 2022.Oil prices remained volatile but are set for a record monthly gain. The S&P 500 energy index has risen more than 11% in March, making it the only sector expected to end the month in positive territory and marking its strongest quarterly performance on record.“The move in markets is reflecting what traders want to see, what they hear. They would like to hear that resolution to this is quick,” said Mark Malek, CIO at Siebert Financial, Reuters quoted.He cautioned that elevated oil prices, driven by continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, could “cause damage” to the broader economy.Technology stocks led Tuesday’s gains, with the S&P 500 technology index rising 2% after a weak quarter marked by concerns over heavy capital expenditure and AI-led disruption in software services.CoreWeave climbed 8.4% after securing an $8.5 billion loan to expand AI infrastructure, while Marvell Technology rose 6.8% following a $2 billion investment from Nvidia.Communication services stocks also advanced, with Meta Platforms gaining 3.9% and Alphabet rising 2.5%, lifting the sector index by 2.2%.Overall, nine of the 11 major sectors in the S&P 500 traded in positive territory.Last week, both the Dow and Nasdaq confirmed correction territory after falling more than 10% from their record highs, while the small-cap Russell 2000 had entered correction earlier in the month.On the macro front, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed vacancies declined to 6.882 million in February, slightly below expectations of 6.918 million, while consumer confidence came in above estimates.Investors are also watching comments from Federal Reserve officials, including Austan Goolsbee and Michelle Bowman, for signals on the policy outlook.The surge in oil prices has revived inflation concerns, prompting markets to scale back expectations of rate cuts this year, according to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool.Among other stocks, McCormick fell 6% after Unilever agreed to spin off its food business and merge it with the company in a deal valuing the spice maker at about $44.8 billion. Constellation Energy dropped 7.1% after issuing a weaker-than-expected profit forecast for 2026.Market breadth remained strong, with advancing stocks outnumbering decliners by a 5.23-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and 4.21-to-1 on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 recorded three new 52-week highs and three lows, while the Nasdaq saw 19 new highs and 85 new lows.

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis turned down a richer offer from Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook to sell his AI startup to Larry Page‘s Google back in 2013—and a dinner at Zuckerberg’s Palo Alto home was the turning point. According to a new Wall Street Journal excerpt from Sebastian Mallaby’s upcoming book The Infinity Machine, Hassabis deliberately tested Zuckerberg during that dinner. He steered the conversation away from AI and into virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing. Zuckerberg sounded equally excited about all of them. For Hassabis, that was the tell. “Facebook offered more money, but I wanted somebody who really understood why AI would be bigger than all these other things,” Hassabis said, per the WSJ excerpt.Page, on the other hand, had made his pitch months earlier at Elon Musk‘s birthday party. He argued that Hassabis could spend the best part of his career trying to build a company—or he could use Google’s existing infrastructure to go straight at artificial general intelligence. Hassabis found the logic hard to argue with.

Hassabis used Facebook as leverage—and Zuckerberg knew it

The Facebook courtship, it turns out, was largely a negotiating tactic. Hassabis and co-founder Mustafa Suleyman used Zuckerberg’s interest to pressure Google into committing faster. Suleyman, a poker player by instinct, talked up DeepMind’s billionaire backers—Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Solina Chau—even though those investors didn’t exactly have their backs in any binding sense.Zuckerberg later acknowledged the play. In an interview with South Park Commons, the Meta CEO said Hassabis did a “very good job” of playing Facebook off Google—and that he respected the move.

Facebook’s dismissal of AI safety concerns sealed the deal

Beyond vision, there was another dealbreaker. When Suleyman raised the need for an independent AI safety oversight board, Facebook brushed it off. Google engaged seriously—its then-CFO Patrick Pichette compared AI to atomic energy, capable of both catastrophic harm and transformative good.In January 2014, Google acquired DeepMind for $650 million—a figure that looks almost absurdly cheap today. And Zuckerberg, spurned, went and hired deep learning pioneer Yann LeCun to build Facebook’s AI research lab from scratch instead.

Thousands of women and girls sought treatment for sexual violence in war-ravaged Sudan over nearly two years, with Doctors Without Borders saying Tuesday that rape is being used as a weapon in the country’s brutal conflict.The aid group, known by its French acronym MSF, said at least 3,396 survivors of sexual violence were treated at its facilities between January 2024 and November 2025. Most survivors identified the attackers as armed men, while 60% of the reported cases in South Darfur involved multiple perpetrators.In a report released Tuesday, as cited by AP, MSF documented accounts from women who were gang raped in South Darfur and North Darfur, highlighting what it said is a much wider crisis than current figures show.One survivor described her ordeal in the report, saying, “They took us to an open area. The first man raped me twice, the second once, the third four times.”MSF Emergency Coordinator Myriam Laroussi said the numbers recorded in the report reflect only a small part of the violence.Speaking at the report launch in Nairobi, Kenya, Laroussi, who was in Tawila in North Darfur in late 2025 after the fall of El Fasher, said the figures were just a “tip of the iceberg” and that the scale of sexual violence is likely far greater in areas where MSF has no access.Medical workers said survivors often face major delays in reaching treatment. MSF midwife Gloria Endreo said teams in Tawila were seeing an average of 10 to 15 women a day, with most arriving after the first 72 hours, a critical period for treating injuries and trauma, preventing infections and avoiding unwanted pregnancies.Many victims, she said, have to walk for days or travel by camel to reach care.“As healthcare practitioners, we consider the 72 hours as a golden period because we provide a lot of care within that period,” Endreo said.MSF sexual health specialist Andreza Trajano said the violence has also left a deep impact on entire communities.In some cases, girls were raped in front of their mothers and grandparents, she said. Fear of sexual assault has also stopped some people from carrying out daily activities such as farming.“Will we continue to just let women’s and girls’ bodies be used as a weapon of war?” she said.MSF urged the United Nations to strengthen its presence in Sudan to better respond to the needs of affected communities.Sudan descended into chaos in April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into open fighting in Khartoum and other parts of the country. The International Criminal Court is investigating mass killings, gang rapes and other abuses linked to the conflict as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.The war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to UN figures, though aid groups say the actual death toll is likely much higher.Fighting has recently intensified in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, where deadly attacks, mostly involving drones, have been reported daily. The UN Human Rights Office said more than 500 civilians had been killed in drone strikes this year as of mid-March.

The high-octane rivalry of the Indian Premier League (IPL) returns to the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh this Tuesday, March 31, 2026. As the Punjab Kings (PBKS) prepare to host the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 4th match of the season, all eyes are on the strategic shifts within the Shreyas Iyer-led camp. While the home fans are eager to see their new Australian recruit in action, a significant tactical limitation has emerged: Cooper Connolly will not bowl in today’s clash.

Why PBKS’ Cooper Connolly won’t bowl against Gujarat Titans?

The decision to keep Connolly away from the bowling crease isn’t a tactical whim by the PBKS management, but rather a direct directive from Cricket Australia (CA). In what is being viewed as a protective stance by the national board, Connolly has been instructed to play as a specialist batter until the end of April. The young all-rounder, who was picked up for INR 3 crore to fill a role similar to Glenn Maxwell, is currently recovering from a persistent back problem, suspected to be a stress fracture.

Despite a stellar Big Bash League season where he claimed 15 wickets, Connolly’s left-arm spin will be missed in the early stages of IPL 2026. Stepping into the shoes of Josh Inglis at the No. 3 spot, Connolly is under pressure to deliver with the blade to justify his spot as a pure batter. For PBKS, this creates a significant void in their bowling flexibility, forcing Iyer to rely more heavily on his primary spin duo, Yuzvendra Chahal and the pace-off variations of Marcus Stoinis.

Also READ: GT head coach Ashish Nehra’s witty response to trade deal with MI ahead of IPL 2026

Starting XIs and tactical maneuvers by both the sides at New Chandigarh

With the toss falling in favor of the Punjab Kings, who elected to bowl first, both sides have unveiled balanced lineups that reflect the ‘Impact Player’ era’s depth. The Titans, led by Shubman Gill, boast a formidable top order, while the Kings have focused on a pace-heavy attack to exploit the evening moisture in Chandigarh.

The Titans have opted for a “power-packed” middle order featuring Glenn Phillips and Shahrukh Khan, aiming to capitalize on the death overs. Meanwhile, PBKS has handed a start to Xavier Bartlett, banking on his ability to swing the new ball alongside Arshdeep Singh. The inclusion of Marco Jansen adds further depth, though the lack of Connolly’s overs means Nehal Wadhera or Shashank Singh might be called upon if the frontline bowlers go for runs. The battle between Rashid Khan’s wrist-spin and the PBKS middle-order remains the most anticipated matchup of the evening.

Playing XIs of both teams

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, M Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj.

Also READ: IPL 2026: Here’s why PBKS co-owner Preity Zinta apologised to Jitesh Sharma

US gasoline prices have crossed $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, as the ongoing Iran war continues to disrupt global oil supplies and push up fuel costs.According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price for regular gasoline stood at $4.02 per gallon on Tuesday — more than $1 higher than levels seen before the conflict began on February 28.The last time US consumers faced such prices was nearly four years ago, in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.