Errol Musk, father of Elon Musk, has triggered widespread controversy after remarks he made in a CNN interview on demographic change in the United States, warning that a decline in the white population would have severe consequences for the country’s future.Speaking to CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan for a documentary segment examining conspiracy theories around “white genocide,” Errol Musk reacted to US Census Bureau projections showing that non-Hispanic White Americans are expected to fall below 50% of the population by the mid-2040s. Musk described this projected shift as “a very, very bad thing to happen” and claimed that the United States would be “doomed” if whites became a minority.

“You want to see the US go down? Why?” Musk asked during the interview. “You don’t like electric cars, and you don’t like technology? What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?” The remarks were widely criticised for implying that technological progress is dependent on racial demographics.

Comments on South Africa and apartheid

Musk went on to draw comparisons with South Africa, where he lives. He argued that the country’s small White population had historically projected “European culture” and values that contributed to national development. During the exchange, Musk denied that Black South Africans had been systematically oppressed under apartheid, dismissing such claims as “nonsense.”These assertions were directly challenged on air by CNN, and have been widely condemned by historians and commentators. Apartheid, which lasted until the early 1990s, is internationally recognised as a system of institutionalised racial segregation and oppression, documented by courts, governments, and human rights organisations worldwide.

Political context and reaction

Musk’s comments have sparked backlash across social media and international media outlets, with critics arguing that his views echo long-discredited racial and civilisational theories. The controversy comes amid heightened global sensitivity around race, migration, and identity politics.The remarks also intersect with recent political tensions involving South Africa, following earlier claims by Donald Trump alleging “white genocide” in the country, claims that have been repeatedly rejected by South African authorities and independent investigations.

What the data actually show

US Census Bureau projections indicate that demographic change in the United States is being driven by long-term trends, including lower birth rates among non-Hispanic Whites, higher birth rates among other groups, and immigration. Demographers note that becoming a “minority-White” country does not mean any group becomes numerically dominant, nor does it imply economic or technological decline. Historically, periods of immigration and demographic transition in the US have coincided with innovation and growth.Errol Musk’s CNN interview has nonetheless placed him at the centre of an ongoing global debate on demographics, culture, and identity, highlighting how population data is increasingly being interpreted through political and ideological lenses rather than empirical evidence.

Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami (AP | PTI)

Mumbai: Having recovered from a serious abdominal injury, India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is racing against time to make a comeback into the ODI set-up when the national selection committee, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, picks the team for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand at home.The series will begin in Vadodara on January 11, with the next two matches being played in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18. It remains to be seen if Iyer is picked under the ‘subject to fitness’ clause, just like India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill was for the home five-match T20I series against South Africa in December after undergoing rehabilitation for a neck injury. In fact, if Iyer makes the cut, the series could see both India’s ODI captain and vice-captain return to the fold after missing the previous series against South Africa due to injuries.

Gill, who is set to feature in the next two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab along with India pacer Arshdeep Singh, is expected to return to the ODI fold after missing the South Africa series due to injury.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!TOI has learnt that Iyer underwent a match simulation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Friday and will go through another on January 5 before obtaining a ‘Return to Play’ certificate from the medical team. The 31-year-old could turn out for Mumbai in their final Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Jaipur on January 8 before joining the Indian team in Vadodara for the first ODI.“Shreyas reported to the Centre of Excellence on December 25. Since his arrival, he has shown significant improvement in strength and conditioning and has successfully completed four high-intensity skill sessions encompassing both batting and fielding. Based on his current physical status and achievement of rehabilitation milestones, he undertook a match-simulation session on January 2 and will undertake another on January 5 before obtaining clearance for white-ball formats,” a BCCI source told TOI.

Shreyas Iyer of India looks on from the team bench before game three of the One Day International series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)

Iyer last featured in the ODI series against Australia in October, where he suffered a severe spleen injury during the third and final match in Sydney, forcing hospitalisation. The injury ruled him out of the ODI series against South Africa at home, as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai.In his absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad was tried at No. 4 and repaid the faith with an 83-ball 105 against South Africa in the second ODI at Raipur.

Will Pant be dropped without a chance?

The selection of India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against a second-string New Zealand side just before the T20 World Cup would ordinarily attract limited attention. However, the ‘virtual’ selection meeting of Agarkar & Co has gained significance amid speculation that India’s Test vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could be dropped despite not having played a single ODI in the last 18 months.

Bengaluru: Delhi’s captain Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Gujarat and Delhi, at BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI12_26_2025_000117B)

Pant’s form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy, with 121 runs in four matches at an average of 30.25, including one fifty. Still, dropping him even as the second wicketkeeper could be considered harsh, given that he last played an ODI on August 7, 2024, against Sri Lanka in Colombo. For over a year, Pant has warmed the bench in ODIs, with KL Rahul the first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the recent home series against South Africa.

If Pant is omitted, selectors may consider in-form Dhruv Jurel, who has scored 307 runs in three matches at an average of 153.50, including an unbeaten 160 off 101 balls against Baroda. There is also a strong case for recalling Ishan Kishan, who recently returned to India’s T20I side after topping the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run charts with 517 runs at 57.44, including two hundreds.

Shami in line for a comeback?

With workload management in mind, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested for the New Zealand series. In their absence, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami could stage a comeback. Shami was India’s standout bowler in the last two ODI World Cups, claiming 14 wickets in four matches in 2019 and finishing as the leading wicket-taker in 2023 with 24 wickets in seven games.

India’s pacer Mohammed Shami engages in a discussion with Bengal team members during a training session at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium, in Agartala, Tripura. (PTI Photo)(PTI11_04_2025_000253B)

Since returning from ankle and knee issues, Shami has impressed in domestic cricket, taking 20 wickets in four Ranji matches this season, along with strong returns in SMAT and VHT. While selector Agarkar had earlier insisted Shami was not fit, relations have improved, with selector RP Singh holding discussions with the pacer during a Ranji match in Kolkata.Devdutt Padikkal’s name may also come up for discussion after his prolific Vijay Hazare Trophy run, but with Shubman Gill returning and Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in form, the Karnataka opener may have to wait.

Errol Musk, the father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reignited a controversy with the latest comments about the projected demographic transformation in the United States. Speaking in a recent interview, Errol Musk warned that America would ‘collapse’ if the white population becomes a minority within the next two decades, calling the shift “a very, very bad thing to happen.”Musk raised questions about the implications of the demographic change, asking, “You want to see the U.S. go down? Why? You don’t like electric cars, and you don’t like technology? What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?” Along with this, he also spoke about South Africa, claiming that the “small white population that projects the European culture” has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Black African population. He dismissed the notion of systemic oppression in South Africa as “nonsense.”

When Elon Musk called his father ‘Evil’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not shared an amicable relationship with his father. In an interview with Rolling Stone a few years ago, Elon Musk characterised his father as someone who “will plan evil”.Tesla CEO Elon Musk has frequently expressed his disapproval of his father, who had ties to the apartheid regime of South Africa and has faced multiple criminal accusations. Musk described Errol as “such a terrible human being” and claimed that his father had committed “almost every crime you can possibly think of.” He added, “My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil. He will plan evil. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done. It’s so terrible, you can’t believe it.”

Past controversies around Errol Musk

In 1998, Errol Musk admitted that he killed three people insisting that it was an act of self-defence. Initially he was arrested but was later released after the charges were dropped. The incident was dded to the long list of controversies surrounding him which further fulled Elon Musk’s distrust.Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasised that his father’s words cannot be trusted. Reflecting on his attempts to mend their relationship, Musk said, “In my experience, there is nothing you can do. Nothing, nothing. I wish. I’ve tried everything. I tried threats, rewards, intellectual arguments, emotional arguments, everything to try to change my father for the better, and he, no way, it just got worse.”Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a started relationship with his father Errol Musk. The their relationship has long been a topic of public interest. The controversial statements made by Errol in the past still continue to cast a shadow over their family dynamics offering insight into the personal challenges faced by one of the world’s most influential tech entrepreneurs.

On December 29, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) published its tentative examination calendar for 2026, covering tests scheduled between January and June. Almost every major exam under its mandate was accounted for — diploma finals, FMGE, DNB and DrNB examinations, GPAT, FET.One conspicuous absence stood out: NEET-PG.For an exam that determines postgraduate medical careers for more than two lakh candidates annually, the omission was not read as routine. It was read as a signal.Within hours, aspirants began flagging the gap on X (formerly Twitter). One of the earliest widely circulated posts came from @bheekamkurmi27, who wrote that NBEMS had released the schedule but made “no mention of NEET-PG 2026.”The post was reshared repeatedly by resident doctors and aspirant groups, echoing a common fear rather than isolated panic.Another post, amplified by resident associations, used starker language: “NO NEET PG 2026 TILL JUNE.” Similar phrasing appeared across multiple accounts, including @DrMeet_Ghonia, whose post summarising the schedule omission was widely circulated among aspirants.This was not noise. It was memory, pattern recognition.

NEET-PG in the last five years: A calendar that refuses to settle

The anxiety around the omission of NEET PG in the NBEMS calendar is easier to understand when placed against the recent exam record.

What was once a relatively predictable spring examination has migrated steadily towards late summer. More critically, the movement has not followed a transparent arc. It has been marked by postponements, litigation, and last-minute reversals.For aspirants planning internships, rural bonds, gap years, finances and mental-health pacing, this is not an abstract shift. It alters life timelines.

NEET PG 2024: The last-minute postponement that broke confidence

The current distrust traces directly to June 22, 2024. NEET-PG 2024 was scheduled for June 23. Admit cards had been issued. Travel plans were locked in. Candidates were in peak revision mode. Then, barely hours before the exam, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with NBEMS, announced that the test was being postponed as a “precautionary measure.”Crucially, no NEET-PG–specific breach was disclosed.The official explanation referred broadly to the “integrity of certain competitive examinations” and the need for a “robustness assessment of examination processes.” In effect, the postponement was a preventive integrity audit, triggered by the wider national uproar around exam credibility unfolding at the time — not by a publicly identified problem in NEET-PG itself.The exam was eventually rescheduled for August 11, 2024, to be conducted in two shifts. Administratively, the crisis passed. Psychologically, it did not.For candidates, this moment rewired expectations. From then on, even announced dates stopped feeling real.

NEET 2025: When Supreme Court entered the exam calendar

If 2024 shattered trust, 2025 institutionalised uncertainty. NEET-PG 2025 was initially scheduled for June 15. It was later deferred to August 3, with the matter reaching the Supreme Court, which permitted the postponement while reportedly questioning the need for such an extended delay.The trigger, this time, was not security, but fairness.The Supreme Court directed that NEET-PG 2025 be held in a single shift, rather than multiple shifts, to avoid score normalisation disparities. NBEMS told the court it required additional time to arrange more test centres and infrastructure to conduct such a large exam in one sitting.The court allowed the postponement — while questioning the length of the delay.The key issue was not merely the deferment. It was the optics. When courts begin arbitrating exam timelines — rather than just disputes — the calendar stops being an academic planning document and becomes a legal contingency plan. This is how uncertainty becomes structural.

Eligibility churn in NEET PG: When rules change mid-journey

Date uncertainty might be survivable on its own. What magnifies distress is how often it collides with eligibility criteria.In 2022, NEET-PG aspirants faced litigation over internship completion cut-off dates, with NBEMS notices extending timelines becoming subject to judicial scrutiny. The grievance was simple: Candidates had planned eligibility and preparation based on one framework, only for it to shift during the cycle.This dual instability—when will the exam be held, and who will be eligible when it is—remains deeply unsettling.That memory resurfaced after December 29. Several aspirant posts explicitly linked the calendar silence to internship uncertainty, warning that without dates, candidates cannot even assess whether they fall in the 2026 eligibility bracket.

Counselling overlaps: Preparing for two cycles at once

There is another fear that resurfaces every time timelines blur: Overlap chaos.In 2022, the timelines began to spill into each other. The exam clock and the counselling clock stopped staying in their own lanes. Some candidates were revising for the next NEET-PG while still chasing paperwork, options and seat decisions from the previous round. The issue even reached the courts. For aspirants, it wasn’t just delay — it was two cycles collapsing into one long, exhausting limbo.

When silence breeds rumours and scams

There is also a quieter, more dangerous consequence of date vacuums: Misinformation.NBEMS has repeatedly warned candidates against fake notices, fraudulent messages, and unauthorised announcements circulating in its name, a problem that spikes when anxiety is high and timelines are unclear.When the official updates go quiet, the vacuum doesn’t stay empty. Telegram groups start buzzing, coaching centres hint at “likely dates”, and anonymous “insiders” suddenly have confident answers. In that fog, rumours travel faster than notices. A kind of shadow marketplace of information forms — not built on proof, but on panic, hope and the need to plan something, even if it’s wrong.

NEET PG 2026: Why this omission feels different

NBEMS did not forget NEET-PG. It left it out. A single line — “NEET-PG 2026 is tentatively expected in the second half of the year” — would have anchored expectations. Its absence allows the past to rush in and fill the gap. In a system shaped by last-minute postponements, court-approved delays, eligibility churn, counselling overlaps, and scam warnings, silence is no longer neutral.It is read as policy. By publishing a detailed exam map and omitting its most consequential exam, NBEMS has sent a message. Aspirants, trained by experience, are decoding it carefully.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday launched a broadside against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his “vote chori” after a study by the Karnataka government found out that majority respondents in the state believe that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly and that EVM’s deliver accurate results.BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla cited the study report and claimed that the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha gets a “reality check”, each time he blames the EVMs or the Election Commission after losing the election.“Rahul Gandhi blames the EVMs and the Election Commission after losing the election,” Poonawalla said.“In Karnataka, a survey revealed that people consider EVMs safe and trust them… Each time Rahul Gandhi blames the EVMs or the system, he gets a reality check,” he added.This comes a day after Karnataka government body conducted a a survey across all four administrative divisions in the state titled “Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Evaluation of Endline Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Citizens”.A total of 5,100 respondents were surveyed across 102 assembly constituencies, covering all 34 election districts in Karnataka, representing rural, urban, and reserved constituencies across the state’s four divisions — Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Mysuru.The findings assume significance amid the Congress’ campaign against ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), led by top party leader Rahul Gandhi, targeting the ruling BJP-led government at the Centre and the Election Commission of India.Also, they come at a time the Karnataka government has proposed holding all the future panchayat and urban local body polls in the state using ballot paper, citing alleged erosion of public confidence in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).According to the report, 91.31 per cent of respondents across divisions agreed that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, including 6.76 per cent who expressed neutral views.“Confidence was strongest in Kalaburagi division, where 84.67 per cent agreed and 10.19 per cent strongly agreed, followed by Belagavi division with 69.62 per cent agreeing and 19.24 per cent strongly agreeing. Mysuru division also showed high confidence, with 72.08 per cent agreeing and 15.08 per cent strongly agreeing,” it said.The Bengaluru division reported the lowest level of strong agreement at 7.17 per cent, though a substantial 67.11 per cent still agreed, the study said adding “neutral opinions were highest in the Bengaluru division at 12.50 per cent, compared to lower proportions in other divisions.” Disagreement was marginally higher in the Bengaluru division, with 9.67 per cent disagreeing and 3.56 per cent strongly disagreeing, though it remained very low in Kalaburagi division.As per the study, a large majority of respondents across all divisions trust EVMs, with 69.39 per cent agreeing and 14.22 per cent strongly agreeing overall that EVMs deliver accurate results.“Trust was highest in Kalaburagi division, where 83.24 per cent agreed and 11.24 per cent strongly agreed, followed by Mysuru division with 70.67 per cent agreeing and 17.92 per cent strongly agreeing. The Belagavi division also showed strong confidence, with 63.90 per cent agreeing and 21.43 per cent strongly agreeing,” it added.The Bengaluru division reported the lowest strong agreement at 9.28 per cent, though 63.67 per cent still agreed, the report added.The study also highlighted concerns about the influence of money in elections, with 44.90 per cent respondents agreeing that it is increasing and 4.65 per cent strongly agreeing overall.

Putin, Trump (File photos)

Days after Russia claimed that Ukraine tried to target President Vladimir Putin’s official residence in a drone attack, Russian authorities on Thursday said they had shared what they described as evidence linked to the incident with the United States.The Russian defence ministry released a video on Telegram showing a meeting between Igor Kostyukov, chief of Russia’s main intelligence directorate, and a representative from the US military attache’s office in Moscow. Russian officials said the meeting was held to present materials connected to the alleged drone strike.

“I am Igor Kostyukov, chief of the main intelligence directorate of the general staff of the armed forces of Russia. I have invited you for an important matter. I would like to inform you that we have found the debris of unmanned aerial vehicles involved in this attack,” Kostyukov said at the start of the meeting, as seen in the video.During the meeting, Kostyukov showed a device that he said was recovered from one of the drones. He claimed that several drones shot down during the incident had navigation systems that were still intact.“In several of these drones, the navigation systems are well-preserved and technically functional. The decoding of the content of the memory of the navigation controllers of these drones, carried out by specialists of the Russian special services, unequivocally and accurately confirmed that the target of the attack was the complex of buildings of the residence of the President of the Russian Federation in the Novgorod region,” he said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.Kostyukov then handed the device to the US military representative. “We want to hand over this controller and the description of this controller made by our specialists to you. We believe that this step will help to remove all questions and contribute to the establishment of the truth,” he said.

How the events unfolded

A drone strike in Russia’s Novgorod region earlier this week was allegedly aimed at the presidential residence. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, an allegation Kyiv denied.Ukraine said Russia had provided no evidence to support its allegation, following which Russia released a video showing a damaged unmanned aerial vehicle lying in snow in a wooded area.US President Donald Trump said he was angry after learning about the reported incident. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump said, “I don’t like it. It’s not good. I learned about it from President Putin today. I was very angry about it.”By Wednesday, however, Trump appeared more sceptical, sharing on social media a New York Post editorial accusing Russia of obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine.Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Russia would respond to the attack and said the timing and targets of Moscow’s response had already been decided.

At least 40 people were charred to death and over 100 others were injured after a deadly fire ripped a crowded bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland during a New Year’s party.According to the Swiss police, the blaze broke out in the early morning hours at Le Constellation where young partygoers who gathered at the bar to celebrate the new year.

Officials added that they are still investigating the cause of the fire and the explosion that followed. However, they ruled out the possibility of the terrorist attack.Emergency services sent 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances to transport the injured to hospitals, officials said at a news briefing Thursday morning. The emergency ward and operating rooms at the nearest major medical center ran out of space to treat the victims.Three specialized jets took burn victims to Zurich, the country’s largest city, about 90 miles away. In an interview with the Swiss news site 24 heures, Claire Charmet, the head of a hospital in Lausanne, where 22 severely burned patients were taken, said most of the survivors were between 16 and 26.How it happened?According to police commander Frederic Gisler, the smoke was spotted around 1.30am. Few seconds later a witness contacted the police.“Immediately, the red alarm, which mobilises the fire department, was triggered,” Gisler said, adding that firefighters “quickly contained the blaze” while the injured were being treated.Authorities, however, declined to speculate on what caused the tragedy.Meanwhile, several news channels seemed to point to sparklers that were apparently mounted on top of champagne bottles and held aloft by restaurant staff as part of a regular “show” put on for patrons who made special orders to their tables.“I think there were some ladies, waitresses, with champagne bottles and little sparklers. They got too close to the ceiling, and suddenly it all caught fire,” Axel, who was present at the time of the incident, told the Italian media outlet Local Team.A tourist from New York, who filmed bright orange flames pouring from the bar, told AFP he saw people running and screaming.Alexis Lagger, an 18-year-old, had been walking with a group of friends past Le Constellation bar, a spot popular with young people and tourists, when they noticed smoke and flames emerging from the venue and called the police. “People were running through the flames. People were using chairs to try to break the windows,” he told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.Were safety standards met?According to Crans-Montana website, Le Constellation has a capacity of 300 people, plus another 40 people on its terrace.However, several witnesses said that the event space in the basement of the establishment, where the fire began, was connected with the ground floor by only a staircase, which some described as “narrow”.Meanwhile, Wallis’s chief prosecutor Beatrice Pilloud contested the allegations and stressed that the cause of the tragedy was still being investigated.Responding to questions from reporters, she said she had seen the site herself.“What exactly constitutes a narrow staircase?” she asked, stressing that the probe would “determine whether all safety standards were met”.Pilloud also said it was “too early” to comment on whether emergency exits met the required standards, or whether the necessary procedures had been followed before organising the New Year’s event.Multiple sources told news agency AFP that the bar owners are French nationals: a couple originally from Corsica who, according to a relative, are safe and sound, but who have been unreachable since the tragedy.Given the bar’s usually youthful clientele, questions were also being raised about the possible presence of minors at the time of the tragedy.Who are the victims?The bar was a popular spot among the tourists and drew a young crowd. Authorities are yet to release any information on the victims, but said that foreign nationals are also expected among the victims.“Given the international nature of the Crans resort, we can expect foreign nationals to be among the victims,” Gisler said.He said Swiss authorities were “in close contact with the victims’ families, whom we are informing in real time, as well as with the various embassies involved”.Stephane Ganzer, head of Wallis’s security department, did not confirm that.But, he told reporters, “you can imagine that on New Year’s Eve, in a ski resort, the population is undoubtedly quite young”.We have someone close to us who is still missingMeanwhile, hundreds gathered in silence in the freezing night, laying flowers and lighting candles to remember the victims.“There are dead and injured, and we have someone close to us who is still missing. We have no news of them,” said one woman who did not want to be identified.After laying flowers with her friend, they walked away, arm in arm.

‘Saw SUV chasing my friends. They were killed in a road rage, it was no accident’ (AI image)

NOIDA: A friend of two youths found dead in front of Army Public School in Noida on Dec 30 told TOI they were chased by an SUV that hurtled into their bike at high speed, sending them flying into roadside railings and killing them on spot.“It was not a hit-and-run accident but a clear case of road rage,” Pushpendra told TOI on Thursday. The trigger, according to him, was an altercation at an eatery in Sector 30 where his friends Basant Khasu (23) and Rohan Mandal (27) had stopped for parathas on their way back from a party.Pushpendra, who was at the same party, said Basant and Rohan had an argument at the roadside eatery with another customer. Pushpendra subsequently went looking for them. “I saw the SUV hit their bike. The SUV did not have a number plate. It stopped for a few seconds, then took a U-turn and sped away. I tried to chase, but lost it in dense fog,” he claimed.Basant and Rohan were flung into the railings next to the school so hard that their bike got entangled in the grille. Their bodies were found next to the bike, indicating they had no opportunity to move and the impact likely immediately killed them. Pushpendra said they had left for Rohan’s cousin’s birthday party around 10pm on Tuesday from Basant’s house at Nithari. Basant was a hotel management student at an institute in Film City.“Around 11.15pm, Basant and Rohan stepped out to drop one of our friends, Roshan. Around 11.40pm, Vikas, who was at the party with us, called Rohan to ask where he was. Rohan told him about the argument. After that, Vikas and I started for the spot on my bike. But we could not find them at the eatery, nor were they answering their phones. I dropped Vikas at the Sector 37 gate, took a U-turn and went towards DPS school. Near Dent Star, I spotted Basant and Rohan driving their bike at high speed and a black SUV right behind them,” Pushpendra said.He felt the argument at the eatery had blown up into a road rage after Vikas and Rohan’s conversation. Puspendra said he followed the car but lost them at the next T-point after they took a right turn towards Army Public School. It was densely foggy that night. “When I was approaching Army Public School, I saw a bike stuck to the grille there. The SUV, probably a Scorpio N, was right there. It reversed and sped off,” he said. “When I went closer, I saw Basant and Rohan. They were bleeding.”Basant, a third-year hotel student, lived with his brother Dheeraj and mother Sonam. His father Hari works as a chef in Kenya. Rohan was a contract worker with the fire department. Both lived in Nithari.Pushpendra’s account of an argument was corroborated by Sonam, who told TOI on Thursday that Basant had called Dheeraj for help. “Basant had called me at 11.18pm to say he was on his way home. Everything seemed fine. I did not feel anything was amiss. Around 11.30pm, Basant called Dheeraj and said Rohan had got into a fight with some people and they needed help. Dheeraj thought his brother was joking, so did not take him seriously,” Sonam said.“They hit both the kids badly. We need justice. My son had so many plans for his life. He was eager to finish his degree and get a job. He also told me about all the places he wanted to visit. All his dreams have gone with him,” Sonam added. She said police had told them the death was an accident. “Later, when we challenged that theory, the cops agreed that it did not look like an accident.” Basant’s father Hari, who took a flight to Delhi, said, “He wanted to become a chef and open a hotel. He was a quick learner. We don’t know how we will live without him. We live in a high-tech city like Noida, but even after 48 hours, police have not been able to find the culprits. We will keep fighting for my justice for my son,” he said.Police said they had formed five teams to track down the SUV. “We are scanning CCTV footage of the area. The issue we are facing is that the SUV did not have a number plate. But our teams are working and we will get a breakthrough,” a senior officer said. An FIR has been filed under BNS sections for rash driving and causing death due to negligence. Rohan’s autopsy indicates ante-mortem head injuries. Basant’s family did not agree to an autopsy. “I believe the men in the SUV were the same people with whom my brother and his friend had an altercation. It’s a clear case of murder,” Dheeraj told TOI.

Sheikh Hasina, Muhammad Yunus

DHAKA: Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Thursday accused the Muhammad Yunus-headed interim govt of pushing the country towards darkness, while her party Awami League said despite decades of peaceful coexistence, extremist groups are “emboldened” and minority communities are increasingly being branded as “political enemies”.“The masks and vile faces of the conspirators engaged in plots to destroy the country have already been exposed before you. You have seen how illegal usurpers, holding you hostage, have pushed the country towards darkness through limitless corruption, falsehood, and the intoxication of serving personal interests,” Hasina, who was ousted as PM following protests in 2024, said in her New Year message. Bangladesh is now associated with fear, and no country today looks upon Bangladesh and its people with respect, she said, days after important institutions were vandalised in the aftermath of the death of radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi, and minorities, particularly Hindus, were targetted.“Due to insecurity faced by foreign investors and donor groups, and because of chaotic conditions, the country’s economy has collapsed. We must all come together to save the country from this journey into darkness. Let us, as we welcome the New Year, pledge ourselves to that commitment of protecting the nation,” read the message posted on the X account of her party, which has been banned from political activities and contesting the election.“The distinct identity of Bangladesh and its historic struggle for liberation – of the Bangladesh for which my govt worked tirelessly with the determination to place it on a position of dignity in the world – are today being called into question… In the past, whenever such critical times have arisen, this nation has united, forgetting differences of class, religion, colour, language, and ethnicity, and has leapt forward to realise a collective dream.“Meanwhile, Awami League on X issued a long post on how “like other minorities, the lives of Bangladesh’s Christian community (members) have been turned upside down” by extremist elements.“Since Yunus took charge (in 2024), reports show a sharp rise in Islamist extremism – leaving Christians increasingly targeted, threatened, and living in fear. In the run-up to Christmas and elections, extremist groups openly branded Christians as ‘enemies of Islam’, issuing threat letters to churches, schools, and missionary institutions,” it said.

Draft rules released for public review

NEW DELHI: Gig and platform workers need to be engaged for at least 90 days with an aggregator within a financial year to avail social security benefits formulated under the new Social Security Code, draft rules released for public comment have proposed. For workers engaged with multiple aggregators, the threshold has been proposed at 120 days. The rules treat a worker as engaged from the day they start earning an income, regardless of the amount. If a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, their days of work will be counted cumulatively across all platforms. For example, if a gig or platform worker is engaged with three aggregators on a particular day, this will be counted as three days. The rules also clarified that an eligible gig or platform worker will include all such workers engaged by the aggregator directly or through an associate company, subsidiary or limited liability partnership or through a third party. The new labour codes mandate social security such as health, life and personal accident insurance for gig workers and other arrangements that govt may propose. Labour ministry has already started registering gig workers on ‘e-Shram’ portal and will be part of ‘Ayushman Bharat’. They may also be eligible for pension later based on contribution by both the platforms and gig workers. The rules said all gig workers above 16 years need to have Aadhaar-linked registration, with each aggregator sharing details of their gig and platform workers on Centre’s designated portal for generation of a universal account number, unless the worker is already registered. Every eligible registered gig and platform worker will be issued an identity card, digital or otherwise, the rules proposed. Besides, the draft notification has laid down the proposed composition of National Social Security Board, which will be responsible for assessing the number of gig workers and platform workers, identifying new types of aggregators and formulating welfare policies for them. The board will have five representatives nominated by govt from associations of unorganised sector workers and employers’ each. Gig workers will become ineligible for social security benefits once they turn 60, or if they haven’t worked for 90 days with an aggregator – or 120 days across multiple aggregators – in the previous fiscal.