LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Image via: Getty Images

Kevin Durant and LeBron James are the two true legends of the big league, and both have played together for Team USA during the Olympics in Paris. As for their net worth, both have earned significantly from the NBA, and their net worth consists of earnings from their contract details and brand endorsements. While in the big league, both the elite players play for different teams, their sense of brotherhood and friendship has always been intact. The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s net worth comes from his crisp salary earned from the NBA, and his partnerships with the famous and high-profile brands. Now, as for Durant, he plays for the Houston Rockets, and his net worth, too, comes from his involvement with significant brands, major investments, and all sorts of charity works. From career earnings to contract details, here is everything you need to know about the NBA legends’ net worth.

Kevin Durant’s net worth, contract details, career earnings, brand endorsements, and more

The league’s most powerful player, Kevin Durant, boasts a net worth of $300 million (per Celebrity Net Worth) as of 2025. The Rocket’s top-tier player has an NBA salary that stands at around $54.7 million for the season of 2025-2026. Durant is one of the highest-paid basketball players in the history of the big league. He has signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets in 2025. This deal also ensures him a player option at the end of 2027-2028. Kevin Durant has also partnered with several high-end brands, such as his lifetime deal with Nike, and other brands like Fanatics, FanDuel, 2K Sports, Degree Men, as well as his past involvement with brands like Gatorade. His career high point stands at 55 points, which he scored against the Atlanta Hawks back in 2022. Apart from these, he has scored significantly, averaging 25 points per game during the season of 2025-2026.

LeBron James’ net worth, contract details, career earnings, brand endorsements, and more

As of 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers’ legends’ net worth stands at $1.2 billion (per Forbes). James is one of the elite players in the NBA, and his net worth has significantly added to the reputation of the big league. He also boasts a salary cap of approximately $52.6 million for the season of 2025-2026, and in the coming years, he is entitled to earn even more than that. James has also signed a two-year, $104 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, which also includes a player option at the end of the 2025-2026 season. LeBron James has been involved with many brands, and endorsements account for the largest share of his net worth. He earns approximately $55-$80 million annually from all his endorsements and has partnered with brands like Nike, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Amazon, Fanatics, and DraftKings. His career high has been at 52 points, and for the 2025-2026 season, he has scored 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Also read: LeBron James breaks yet another historic record in Lakers’ win over Grizzlies

Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, two days after US forces captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, to face trial in New York. Rodriguez took the oath in the National Assembly, telling lawmakers she did so “in the name of all Venezuelans.” She has hinted she will cooperate with Washington. She had been serving as the vice president of the nation since 2018.Rodriguez was already effectively running the country since Maduro’s capture on Saturday. She initially said that Venezuela would “never again be anyone’s colony.” By Sunday evening, she dialled down her tone and issued a statement inviting the US government “to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence.”Addressing President Donald Trump directly, Rodriguez said: “President Donald Trump: our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s conviction and it is that of all Venezuela at this moment. This is the Venezuela I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a great power where all decent Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future.”Rodriguez’s rise followed a series of extraordinary events. Maduro and Flores were captured by US forces and taken to New York, where they pleaded not guilty on drug and weapons charges in a federal court on Monday. The Supreme Court of Venezuela had sworn Rodriguez in as president on Saturday, and the country’s armed forces formally recognised her authority the next day, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife at the same time.US President Donald Trump warned that Rodriguez could “pay a very big price” if she did not comply with his orders. He added that the US would now “run” Venezuela and hinted at a possible second strike if remaining members of Maduro’s administration refuse to cooperate with Washington. US secretary of state later clarified Trump’s position that US will only create an oil blockade in Venezuela and does not want total hold and governance of the Latin American country.Furthermore, the situation sidelined Venezuela’s democratic opposition, which is led by Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. Machado had dedicated her Peace Prize to Trump after winning it last year. A lot of Venezuelans have been celebrating Maduro’s downfall, but many remain cautious due to the alarming number of arrests of people who opposed the ousted leader.The American forces last week carried out Operation Absolute Resolve, in which they conducted coordinated strikes across key locations in Caracas, killing dozens.

A Hindu businessman who also served as the acting editor of a local newspaper was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Monday evening in Bangladesh’s Jessore district, reported news agency PTI citing local media.The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district in the Khulna Division, according to Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo.Bairagi owned an ice-making factory at Kopaliya Bazar in Monirampur and was also the acting editor of Dainik BD Khabar, a newspaper published from neighbouring Narail district, the report said.The incident took place around 5.45 pm at Kapalia Bazar, Additional Police Superintendent Abul Basar told the bdnews24 news portal.Citing police and local residents, Prothom Alo reported that three men riding a motorcycle arrived at the ice factory and called Bairagi outside. They allegedly took him to a narrow alley near the Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Centre, located on the western side of Kapalia Bazar.The assailants then shot him in the head from close range before fleeing the scene. Bairagi died on the spot, the daily reported.“Bairagi was shot three times in the head and his throat was slit,” Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Rajiullah Khan was quoted as saying by the daily.Khan said the motive behind the killing was not immediately known and that an investigation had been launched to identify those involved.Police also said that four cases were registered against Bairagi across two police stations, though details of those cases were not immediately available. The killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community in recent weeks.On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after being brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire. On December 24, another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was lynched over alleged extortion in Rajbari town’s Pangsha upazila.Earlier, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city. In another incident on December 23, unidentified men set fire to the home of Qatar-based expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in the Raojan area on the outskirts of Chattogram, though the occupants managed to escape unharmed.

FILE – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File)

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg announced the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs in first half of 2025, Meta CEO has been on an AI hiring blitz. A Twitter user who goes by the moniker @HinataMotivates, said to be a tech-motivation account, shared a podcast clip (going back to 2022) where Zuckerberg talks about Meta hiring rule and his advice for college students. Mark Zuckerberg has a hiring rule that he says is cardinal for him while hiring anyone and the one that he says is also an important tip for any college student. In an episode of the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” hosted by MIT computer scientist Lex Fridman, Zuckerberg said that most people know Facebook’s dorm-room origin story and that many have learned the wrong lesson from it. He said that his initial ability to launch Facebook wasn’t because he dropped out of college. According to Zuckerberg, it was due to the personal connections he made while he was still in school.Who you spend time with in college, Zuckerberg said, is “the most important decision” any student can make in college. He advised college students that choosing their social circle is the most pivotal decision, as people tend to emulate those around them. “You become the people you surround yourself with,” he said in the podcast. “I think probably people are too, in general, objective focused, and maybe not focused enough on the connections and the people who they’re basically building relationships [with].” Meta CEO Zuckerberg is said to have met his Facebook co-founders ⁠— Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Andrew McCollum ⁠— while the five were students at Harvard University.

While the group split up in a not-so-happy manner, Zuckerberg said on the podcast that he tries to prioritize relationships over objectives. This applies especially to hiring. Zuckerberg said that he extends the idea to his Meta hiring philosophy: He only employs candidates he did hypothetically work for, underscoring reciprocity and alignment in professional networks. When evaluating a job candidate, he imagines what it would be like to work for that person. “I will only hire someone to work for me if I can see myself working for them,” he said.Zuckerberg said that the strategy creates a work environment that’s both more cohesive and more productive: If you work with people who share your values on a human level, you’ll be more likely to smoothly achieve your work goals together. It’s all about finding personal compatibility, he said, not unlike “choosing friends or a partner.”

Iran’s attempts to suppress a fresh wave of anti-government protests have been complicated by Donald Trump’s threat to side with demonstrators — a warning underscored by the US capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, officials and insiders said on Monday.A day after US President Trump threatened military action, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council held a late-night emergency meeting on Friday to discuss ways to contain nationwide protests with less violence and to prepare for potential strikes, three Iranian officials familiar with government deliberations told The New York Times. Tehran’s options remained limited by Trump’s threats and a long-running economic crisis that deepened after Israel, joined by the US, launched strikes on the Islamic Republic in June in a 12-day war that pummelled several of Iran’s nuclear sites.“These twin pressures have narrowed Tehran’s room for manoeuvre, leaving leaders caught between public anger on the streets and hardening demands and threats from Washington, with few viable options and high risks on every path,” one Iranian official told Reuters.The view was echoed by two other officials and a former Iranian official who remained close to Iran’s decision makers. A second official said that, after US action in Venezuela, some of the authorities feared Iran could be “the next victim of Trump’s aggressive foreign policy”.Iran’s economy has been hammered by years of US sanctions, but its rial has been in freefall since last year’s Israeli-US strikes that mainly targeted nuclear sites, where the West said Tehran worked on nuclear arms. Iran denied this.The protests that erupted in Tehran and spread to some cities in western and southern Iran did not match the scale of unrest that swept the nation in 2022-23 over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law.But, even if smaller, these protests quickly expanded from an economic focus to broader frustrations, with some protesters chanting “Down with the Islamic Republic” or “Death to the dictator” – a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has the final say in all state matters.That presented a challenge for the authorities, which tried to maintain and nurture the spirit of national unity that emerged during and after the Israeli-US strikes. A third official said worries were growing in Tehran that “Trump or Israel might take military action against Iran, like what they did in June.”Iran, which for years allied itself with fellow oil producer Venezuela, which like Iran suffered under years of US sanctions, condemned Washington’s action in Caracas. It also condemned Trump’s statements about Iran.Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said such statements about “Iran’s internal affairs amount, under international norms, to nothing more than incitement to violence, incitement to terrorism, and incitement to killing”.On Friday, Trump threatened to intervene if protesters faced violence, declaring, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” though he offered no details on what actions he might take.The protests threatened what has long been Khamenei’s defining priority: preserving the Islamic Republic at any cost. In a sign of the leadership’s concern, Khamenei on Saturday accused “enemies of the Islamic Republic” of fomenting unrest and warned that “rioters should be put in their place”.Authorities attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy were legitimate and would be met by dialogue, while meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.However, at least 17 people were killed in a week, rights groups said on Sunday. Authorities said at least two members of the security services died and more than a dozen were injured in the unrest.The country’s clerical establishment was still coming to terms with the 2025 Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. The attacks, which killed top Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear scientists, were launched just a day before a planned sixth round of talks with Washington over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme.Negotiations stalled since the June conflict, even as both sides insisted they remained open to a deal.Washington and its allies accused Iran of using its nuclear programme as cover to develop weapons capability, a charge Tehran denied, saying its ambitions were purely peaceful.Economic grievances remained at the heart of the latest unrest.Widening disparities between ordinary Iranians and a privileged clerical and security elite, compounded by mismanagement, runaway inflation and corruption — factors even acknowledged by state media — fuelled public anger.Witnesses in Tehran, Mashhad and Tabriz reported a heavy security presence in main squares. “You can feel the tense atmosphere in Tehran, but life continues as normal,” said Amir Reza, 47, a carpet shop owner in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar.President Masoud Pezeshkian urged dialogue and promised reforms to stabilise the monetary and banking systems and protect purchasing power.Starting January 10, the govt will provide a monthly stipend of 10,000,000 rials per person (about Rs 580) in non-cashable electronic credit for use in select grocery stores, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.For lower-income households, whose monthly salaries barely exceeded Rs 12,450, the measure represented a modest but meaningful boost. The rial lost roughly half its value against the dollar in 2025, while official inflation reached 42.5% in December.

Domestic kitchens contain heating technologies that operate on distinct physical principles, yet they often appear interchangeable in everyday use. Aluminium foil is a routine accessory in conventional cooking, used to shield food surfaces or retain moisture, and it is generally unremarkable when placed in a standard oven. The same material behaves very differently inside a microwave oven, where its presence can provoke sudden flashes, crackling sounds, and visible electrical discharge. These effects are widely recognised in household safety guidance and have been examined in laboratory settings concerned with electromagnetic exposure and material response. The contrast arises from differences in energy delivery, field geometry, and the interaction between metals and electromagnetic radiation within confined spaces.

What happens when microwave energy hits aluminium foil

Microwave ovens are able to produce heating energy from microwave radiation at around 2.45 GHz. Many reflections of microwaves travelling through the cavity generate a standing-wave configuration within the metallic surface (the “Oven”). The introduction of an object made from metal (aluminium foil, for example) generates oscillations through the motion of the electric field. When the field exceeds the breakdown threshold of air, electrons are stripped from gas molecules, producing ionisation and a visible spark. This process has been described in experimental studies of metal objects exposed to microwave fields, published in Materials, where arcing was observed to originate preferentially from sharp features rather than smooth surfaces. Measurements reported in the literature show that even thin household foil can support sufficient current density to initiate discharge under typical microwave power levels.

Why foil edges and folds trigger sparks

The likelihood of sparking is governed less by the mass of metal than by its shape and placement. Flat, smooth metal plates can sometimes reflect microwave energy without immediate discharge, while crumpled foil presents multiple points of curvature with small radii. At these points, electric charge accumulates unevenly as the alternating field reverses direction billions of times per second. The rapid oscillation prevents charge dissipation through grounding, since the foil is usually electrically isolated from the oven walls. As a result, voltage differences arise across very short distances. Laboratory observations have shown that sparks often leap from foil edges to nearby air or to the oven cavity, following the shortest available path. Plasma-like electric discharges can occur and last for only microseconds duration. Repeated discharge events can destroy the inner components of the microwave oven and can create holes in the foil. The basic electromagnetic boundary conditions that create the discharge are the basic cause of the problem, i.e., there is little or no thermal heating caused by direct exposure to the heating elements.

How do conventional ovens heat aluminium foil safely?

The method used for producing cooking energy in a conventional oven is thermal energy released via hot air, thermal energy generated by the elements (in the oven), and via the rack/trays or other surfaces of the conventional oven. The energy involved is carried by moving molecules and infrared radiation, not by a coherent electromagnetic field oscillating at microwave frequencies. Aluminium foil placed in such an environment absorbs heat gradually from its surroundings. Its high thermal conductivity allows it to distribute that heat across its surface, but there is no mechanism for inducing large electrical currents. Without rapidly alternating electric fields, charge does not accumulate at edges in the same way, and the surrounding air remains electrically neutral. Temperatures in ovens can be high enough to soften or oxidise aluminium, yet these processes occur over minutes rather than microseconds and do not involve electrical breakdown. Observations from materials science show that aluminium remains chemically and electrically stable under typical oven conditions, provided it is not in contact with exposed heating elements that could cause localised overheating.

How does energy behave differently in microwaves and ovens?

The two appliances also differ in how and where the energy is contained or released. In terms of design, microwave ovens are constructed as resonators, keeping electromagnetic energy until such time as the energy is absorbed by food products, or the electromagnetic (radio) energy dissipates into the surrounding air (heat). This effect occurs primarily due to the efficiency of reflection caused by the metallic walls of the cavity, along with their compact size and high intensity of electromagnetic fields contained in the cavity. In most instances, the placement of non-intended (unplanned) conductors causes local increases in electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the conductor, as opposed to allowing a more uniform absorption of energy. Conventional ovens do not act as resonators for electromagnetic energy; the heat energy produced by such an oven spreads outwards through convection- and radiation-based processes ranging from the reflections of walls or other surfaces to the heat energy of a convection/ radiative oven. The aluminium foil, therefore, experiences a diffuse thermal environment rather than a structured field pattern. Reports comparing these appliances note that the absence of sparks in ovens is not due to any special property of foil, but to the lack of conditions required for electrical discharge. The material responds predictably to heat, while remaining largely inert to the modes of energy transfer present in conventional cooking.Also Read | Why you should never kill a centipede in your home

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the VP pick of Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election, Monday announced that he is dropping out of the governor’s race in the wake of the massive scam that allegedly took place under his watch. The announcement was expected but he did not mention anything about the alleged scam and called YouTuber Nick Shirley who apparently blew the lid off the alleged scam a ‘conspiracy theorist’. While the Trump administration long accused Somalis in Minnesota of fraud, the recent Nick Shirley video of a day care center with no children left the Minnesota administration with no defense though they denied any wrongdoing. After Shirley’s viral video, federal authorities have since launched an operation in the Land of 10,000 Lakes aimed at “identifying, arresting, and removing criminals who are defrauding the American people.”

Read Tim Walz’s statement

I won’t mince words here. Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place…We’ve got Republicans here in the legislature playing hide-and-seek with whistleblowers… We’ve got conspiracy theorist right-wing YouTubers breaking into daycare centers and demanding access to our children..We’ve got the President of the United States demonizing our Somali neighbors and wrongly confiscating childcare funding that Minnesotans rely on...I cannot abide the actions of the political leadership in Washington – these opportunists who are willing to hurt our people to score a few cheap points. They and their allies have no intention of helping us solve the problem – and every intention of profiting off of it…Which brings me to this: 2026 is an election year. And election years have a way of ramping up the politics at a time when we simply can’t afford more politics.”“In September, I announced that I would run for a historic third term as Minnesota’s Governor. And I have every confidence that, if I gave it my all, I would succeed in that effort. But as I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences. So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”“I know this news may come as a surprise. But I’m passing on the race with zero sadness and zero regret. After all, I didn’t run for this job so I could have this job. I ran for this job so I could do this job. Minnesota faces an enormous challenge this year. And I refuse to spend even one minute of 2026 doing anything other than rising to meet the moment. Minnesota has to come first – always.”

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (X-Cricbuzz)

India were set a target of 246 after South Africa Under-19 were bowled out for 245, but the chase quickly became about one name. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, leading the side, walked out to open and immediately took control, lighting up the contest with a breathtaking start. The 14-year-old tore into the bowling from the outset, racing to 68 off just 24 balls. His innings was built on clean, fearless hitting, with ten sixes and a four clearing the ropes with ease. Vaibhav brought up his half-century in just 19 deliveries, giving India Under-19 exactly the momentum they were looking for at the top of the order. He shared the opening stand with Aaron George, who made 20 before falling early in the chase.

Earlier in the day, South Africa Under-19 had opted to bat first. Jorich van Schalkwyk and Adnaan Lagadien began the innings, contributing 10 and 25 respectively, but neither was able to convert their start. Captain Muhammed Bulbulia also failed to settle, departing for 14 as wickets fell at regular intervals. The visitors found stability through Jason Rowles, who played the standout innings of the first innings. Rowles scored a composed 114 from 113 balls, anchoring the batting effort when the side needed it most. He received some support from Daniel Bosman, who added 31 off 63 deliveries, but South Africa struggled to build partnerships around them and was eventually dismissed for 245. India’s bowlers shared the workload effectively, with Kishan Singh leading the attack. He delivered a strong spell of 8.3 overs, picking up four wickets while conceding 46 runs. RS Ambrish chipped in with two wickets, while Deepesh Devendran, Kanishk Chouhan, and Khilan Patel claimed one each to ensure South Africa never fully broke free. Vaibhav’s explosive innings once again underlined his reputation as one of the most exciting batters at this level. Last year, he set a benchmark by scoring the fastest hundred in Under-19 cricket, reaching the milestone off just 52 balls against England in Worcester. The ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa is serving as preparation for the Under-19 World Cup, which begins on January 15 across Zimbabwe and Namibia.

NEW DELHI: The Congress move to appoint Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as chairperson of the candidate screening committee for the upcoming Assam elections has added to the murmurs of leadership debate within the grand old party, with the BJP-led NDA claiming internal conflict between the Gandhi siblings. Soon after Priyanka’s elevation, which was announced on Sunday, the BJP claimed that the Congress was divided between camps of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress, as expected, strongly rejected these claims and slammed the BJP for spreading “manufactured propaganda.”BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The Rahul vs Priyanka camp has been going on for a very long time in the Congress party. All the pressure was exerted by the Rahul camp. ‘Remove Rahul, bring Priyanka’ is happening in Congress. Now even their allies don’t trust Rahul Gandhi. Their own leaders don’t want him; instead, they want Priyanka Gandhi.”

The Janata Dal (United) also reacted to Priyanka’s appointment, claiming that Rahul Gandhi’s frequent foreign trips had shifted responsibilities to her.“It is expected that legislative assembly elections will be held in five states. The Congress’s internal matters are handled by a screening committee. Who will handle this work when Rahul Gandhi is abroad? The responsibility has fallen on Priyanka Gandhi. However, this is their internal matter,” JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said.

Congress dismisses ‘Rahul vs Priyanka’

The Congress has formally dismissed the NDA’s claims, insisting there is no Rahul vs Priyanka camp within the party.On Sunday, the party defended its decision to appoint AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as chairperson of the Assam screening committee, strongly criticising the BJP for attempting to “propagate” a false leadership contest narrative.The Congress asserted that this was not the first time Priyanka had been entrusted with such responsibilities, recalling that she had earlier served as an ex-officio member of the screening committee during the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.Congress MP Tariq Anwar told IANS, “Earlier, she was the general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh when assembly elections were held there. So we cannot say this is the first time. This is the second time she has been given charge of a state related to elections. She will use her political experience and capability in Assam. There is a strong possibility of a Congress comeback in Assam.”“Priyanka Gandhi has been serving as general secretary for the past five years. She has been given organisational responsibilities from time to time and has worked across the country. Therefore, the notion propagated by the BJP is incorrect,” he added.Congress leader Udit Raj also defended Priyanka’s appointment, citing her “wide influence and experience”.Speaking to IANS, Raj said, “She is our leader and has been made chairperson of the Assam screening committee. Her influence is quite wide. She will oversee elections and make selections. She already has experience, and that experience will increase further.”

The great Rahul paradox

Rahul Gandhi’s position within the Congress is currently stronger than it has been at any point since his resignation as party president in 2019. After years of refusing formal office while leading high-visibility foot marches such as the Bharat Jodo Yatra (2022–23) and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in early 2024, the Lok Sabha election results that year altered the equation.The Congress’s improved performance, winning 99 Lok Sabha seats and securing the Leader of the Opposition post, did something the party had struggled to achieve for a decade: it gave Rahul constitutional weight.That momentum, however, was not sustained.

Since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA staged a strong comeback, winning assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar.Rahul Gandhi led campaigns raising the ‘vote chori’ charge and spearheaded the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, hoping to replicate the gains of his earlier mass movements.The narrative failed to resonate electorally, and the Congress emerged as the weakest link in the Bihar opposition, winning only six of the state’s 243 assembly seats.

Priyanka steps forward

At the same time, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has unmistakably moved out of the occasional-campaigner role. Once deployed sparingly for high-voltage rallies, she is now a constant presence, both in Parliament and on the streets.During the Winter Session of Parliament, the first-time MP from Wayanad assumed a leading role for the party. With a smile, she was seen patiently attacking the Modi government during the Vande Mataram debate.The Wayanad MP also was at the forefront when the opposition parties staged a walkout from Lok Sabha to protest against the VB-G RAM G Bill.She led the march within the Parliament premises while holding a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi.Despite Rahul Gandhi’s absence from Parliament, the Congress drew significant attention for its aggressive protests and Priyanka emerged as a prominent face of the party both inside and outside the House.At the end of the session, she also attended the customary tea meeting hosted by Speaker Om Birla and was seen chatting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders from across parties.

Whispers within the chambers

Though there has been no formal resolution, several reports have quoted “voices within the Congress” urging a larger organisational role for Priyanka, including suggestions that she could serve as party president or national face.After Rahul’s resignation as Congress chief, former MP Abhijit Mukherjee, son of former President Pranab Mukherjee, openly appealed for Priyanka to take over, saying she should heed the “clarion call of lakhs of Congress workers”.Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Anil Shastri has also said Priyanka Gandhi would be the best person to lead the party.Over time, and following successive assembly election losses, these whispers have grown louder.In December, former Odisha MLA Mohammed Moquim wrote to Sonia Gandhi questioning the current leadership and explicitly seeking a “greater central role” for Priyanka.MP Imran Masood has also pushed for her elevation, arguing, “Make her the Prime Minister and see how she responds, just like Indira Gandhi did,” signalling that she should be the party’s main face and de facto leader.

What next?

Internal conflict or not, the specific role given to Priyanka in Assam elections does give credence to talks of her eventual elevation within the party. It is an important move in a politically sensitive state which the Congress hopes to wrest from the BJP. The Congress would hope that Priyanka’s greater involvement in the state elections will help to counter BJP’s ‘double-engine government’ campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.With the Congress till now projecting Rahul Gandhi as its only face, any greater role for Priyanka cannot be dismissed as a routine organisational decision. The move comes amid wider discussions on leadership, strategy and the future direction of the opposition camp.The final verdict, however, will come from voters, and not from whispers or internal demands. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP won 60 seats with 33.6% vote share and the Congress got 29 seats with 30% vote share.What happens in Assam over the next few months, as the state prepares to elect a new government this year, may play a role in shaping the future of the Congress leadership and also the Gandhi siblings.

The year opened without much noise, but something significant still happened over the California coast. A rocket lifted off in the early evening, carrying a satellite that will spend years watching Earth rather than drawing attention to itself. There were no tourists on board and no record-breaking claims attached to it. Still, the launch mattered. It linked an American launch company with an Italian programme that blends military needs and civilian use. It also marked SpaceX’s return to flight after an unusual pause. For Europe, it added another eye in orbit. For SpaceX, it set the tone for 2026. Not flashy, not experimental, just a job done cleanly and on time after delays that tested patience.

SpaceX opens 2026 with an Italian satellite in orbit

The satellite aboard the Falcon 9 was COSMO SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3. It is part of a four-satellite system built for Italy by Thales Alenia Space. The programme is jointly run by the Italian Space Agency and the Ministry of Defence. Its purpose is observation. The satellite uses radar rather than visible light, which allows it to see through clouds and operate at night. That makes it useful for tracking environmental changes, monitoring disasters, and supporting defence planning. Unlike optical satellites, it does not wait for clear skies. This steady reliability is what makes it valuable, even if it never produces images that the public will see.

When and where did the launch take place

The launch happened on January 2, 2026, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Falcon 9 lifted off just after six in the evening local time. The mission had been delayed several times. Initial plans pointed to late December, but technical problems at the launch pad forced a rethink. A fault in the hydraulic system that secures the rocket caused further checks. None of this was dramatic, but it slowed things down. When the rocket finally flew, it did so without trouble. The booster landed safely after deployment, continuing a pattern that has become routine rather than remarkable.

How does this satellite fit into Italy’s wider plans

COSMO SkyMed is not a new idea. Italy has operated earlier versions of the system for years. The second-generation satellites are meant to replace and improve those originals. This one is the third in the upgraded group. Together, they allow faster revisit times and sharper imaging. Civil agencies use the data to track floods, earthquakes, and land changes. Military planners use it for surveillance and situational awareness. That dual role is central to the programme. It reflects how space assets are no longer easily separated into peaceful or strategic categories. They sit somewhere in between, quietly doing both.

What does this say about SpaceX in 2026

This mission also marked SpaceX’s first launch of the year after a sixteen-day gap. That pause was the longest the company has had in several years. Part of it came from adjustments to its Starlink programme and internal checks. Launching an international government payload so early in the year sends a message. SpaceX’s focus extends beyond its own satellite network. It continues to serve foreign clients and national agencies. The Falcon 9 system has become familiar, almost background machinery. That familiarity is its strength. It suggests a company settling into a role as infrastructure rather than spectacle.The satellite will now circle Earth quietly, sending back data most people will never notice. The launch itself will fade from memory. That is often how these things work. The effects last longer than the moment.