Mumbai: Queer communities and allies across Mumbai gathered at Azad Maidan on Wednesday afternoon to oppose the Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, calling it a retrogressive step. Both Houses of Parliament have passed the bill. According to Yadnya, a transgender woman, the bill “erases” their existence as it has narrowed down the definition of transgender. As per the amendment to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, now a person such as kinner, hijra, aravani, or jogta, and a person with variations at birth in sexual characteristics will be considered as transgender.The amended bill removes self-perceived identities and penalises those who force someone to present as a transgender person with imprisonment between five and 10 years.Advocate Lara Jesani said, “The bill is trying to deter people from their trans identity by bringing in criminal provisions. It appears deterring is more important than criminalising violence against the trans community.” Meghna, a 53-year-old mother of two self-identified transgender, and non-binary kids, said it’s a regressive bill. “As a parent, I am an ally to my children. If the bill comes into force, who knows, one day, they might arrest me for supporting my children. This is the worst part of the amendment.”Health professionals also spoke against the bill and pointed out the difference between sex and gender. Psychiatrist Dr Armaan Pandey said being transgender is the experience of a person whose assigned sex does not match their perceived gender, and therefore, it is not quantifiable. Arijit, who is a 37-year-old transgender man and a mental health professional, said it took him years to come out, and now, according to the amendment, “we do not exist anymore”. Stating that the bill’s provisions could adversely affect transgender people’s mental health, Arijit said, “Studies have shown that gender-affirming care reduces suicides and improves the basic quality of life.”For the queer community, it becomes a question of survival. “Now, if I don’t exist, and the police do not protect me, and I do not have any rights, what happens? What should I do?” asked Arjit.

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday told leaders at the all-party meeting that India is not a ‘go-between country’ like Pakistan, amid growing reports of mediation efforts in the ongoing Iran conflict, according to reportsThe remarks came as multiple countries, including Pakistan, Turkey have stepped up efforts to act as intermediaries between Washington and Tehran to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.There is nothing new in Pakistan’s mediation efforts in the matter as that country has been “used” by the US since 1981, PTI sources quoted S Jaishankar as saying. The sources added that the government refuted the Opposition’s charge that New Delhi was silent on the situation, asserting that “we are commenting and responding”.When the Iran embassy was opened, the foreign secretary visited immediately and signed the condolence book, the government told the parties in response to the Opposition’s charge that India displayed moral weakness in not condoling the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader sooner.The government is also said to have informed the parties that its prime concern is ensuring the security of the Indian diaspora living in the Gulf region and fulfilling domestic energy needs.On that count, the government said it has been successful so far. The Opposition, however, said the answers provided at the meeting by the government were “unsatisfactory” and demanded that a debate be held on the West Asia situation in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.Lashing out at the government, Congress’s Tariq Anwar said Pakistan is performing the mediator’s role while “we are still mute spectators”.He said there should be a debate on the situation in Lok Sabha under rule 193 and in Rajya Sabha under rule 176.All Union ministers part of the Cabinet Committee on Security — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — represented the government.Union health minister JP Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also attended. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri made a presentation before the gathering.Tariq Anwar and Mukul Wasnik of the Congress, Dharmendra Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sasmit Patra of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Sanjay Jha of JD-U, Srikant Shinde of Shiv Sena, Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party, John Brittas of CPI-M, Supriya Sule of NCP (SP), Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT), Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM were among the Opposition leaders who attended the meeting, which lasted for nearly two hours.The sources said the government conveyed that there is no need for panic as India has enough stock with more crude oil and gas coming.“We have already done advance order. Diversification of sources of oil and gas has been undertaken and now we are procuring from 41 countries,” the government told the meeting.It is a diplomatic success that four India-bound ships, carrying petroleum products, have already crossed the Strait of Hormuz while five more are expected to cross soon. There are 18 India-bound ships which are stranded around the Strait of Hormuz, the participants were told.On the US attack and sinking of an Iranian ship, the government said that had it been in Indian waters it would have been saved but unfortunately the ship was near Sri Lankan waters.“There is a sense of gratitude on the part of Iran as we have protected other ships and sailors,” the government told the meeting.“We are good friends with everyone – the US is our largest trading partner, Israel is our largest technological partner and we have good relations with Iran too,” it said.The opening remarks were made by Defence Minister Singh with Jaishankar and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also speaking during the meeting.During the question answer session, it was mostly Jaishankar who replied to the opposition’s queries and concerns. On a few occasions, Home Minister Shah also intervened.Briefing reporters on the meeting, Rijiju said the meeting was convened because Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted it and information was shared about the crisis in West Asia.“Several questions were raised by opposition friends regarding the situation arising from the conflict in West Asia involving Iran, Israel, and the United States – specifically about how it would impact India and what steps the government has taken for Indian citizens,” he said.On behalf of the government, comprehensive and detailed responses were provided, Rijiju said.“I feel satisfied to inform you that all the questions asked by the opposition and the information they sought were fully addressed by the government,” he asserted.In the end, all opposition members stated that in this time of crisis, whatever decisions the government takes and whatever steps are required based on the situation, they will stand united and support them, he said.Speaking with reporters, Anwar said an attempt was made to seek clarification from the government, but the meeting was “unsatisfactory”.“It has been our longstanding demand that this issue be debated in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha under Rules 193 and 176. Only then will people feel satisfied… The government says it (we do not want war), but what difference does merely saying that make? The reality is that a conflict is already underway. Pakistan, which is smaller than us and weaker in every respect, is today acting as a mediator and playing that role, while we remain mute spectators,” the Congress leader said.Brittas said the government has been assuring the opposition that everything is safe.“The opposition parties expressed their disapproval of the government’s silence. All the opposition leaders who spoke said that the government should have taken a position with regard to the unilateral attack against a sovereign independent country Iran by the United States. And there have been questions raised with regard to the visit of our Prime Minister to Tel Aviv, and also there were certain questions about the proactive role of Pakistan,” Brittas said.On the absence of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and TMC members from all-party meet on West Asia situation, Union minister Pralhad Joshi said it was a “highly irresponsible” behaviour.“The statements that Rahul Gandhi is making raise serious questions about whether he is genuinely interested in India’s interests or in spreading rumours within the country. This has created significant doubt in people’s minds. Today, in a way, he has even appeared to appreciate Pakistan. At a time when Pakistan is making statements against India, he seems to be lending credibility to them. He should first clarify whether he stands with India or with Pakistan,” he said.

Meta appears to be days away from its largest round of job cuts in company history. On Tuesday night, employees in the wearables and ads divisions received HR emails directing them to work remotely on Wednesday, with a note that leadership would share more information. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment. Business Insider, which first reported the remote work directive, cited two sources who received the email.The timing is notable. Meta’s wearables unit—which covers AI glasses and its augmented reality business—was described in the company’s latest earnings report as one of its “key investment areas” for 2026. Getting told to stay home the day layoffs are expected to drop is not a coincidence.

Up to 20% of Meta’s 79,000 employees could be cut, and that’s roughly 16,000 jobs

Reuters reported earlier this month that Meta is planning cuts affecting 20% or more of its workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on the books as of end-2025, that translates to roughly 15,800 jobs — surpassing the twin waves of the 2022–23 “year of efficiency,” when Meta cut 11,000 jobs in November and another 10,000 the following spring. In January, it had already trimmed 1,500 from Reality Labs. This time, the cuts would be the deepest in the company’s history.

Meta is spending $600 billion on AI infrastructure, and trimming headcount to pay for it

The reasoning is straightforward, if brutal. Meta has committed $600 billion to build out data centres by 2028, with 2026 capex projected as high as $135 billion. It’s also handing out pay packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars to lure top AI researchers to its superintelligence team, led by Alexandr Wang, formerly of Scale AI. To finance those bets without rattling Wall Street, the company is pulling the most obvious lever: headcount. Zuckerberg said as much in January, noting he was already seeing “projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single very talented person.”The urgency is compounded by internal turbulence. Meta’s new frontier model, codenamed Avocado, has reportedly fallen short on reasoning and coding benchmarks and been pushed back to May. Before that, it shelved Llama 4 Behemoth entirely. With billions committed and a new AI engineering org running manager-to-employee ratios of 1:50, Meta is clearly betting on a leaner, AI-native future—and the people who built the old one may not have a seat in it.

What Meta has to say on layoffs

Meta has responded to the layoffs but did not specificy how many jobs are being cut.“Teams across Meta regularly restructure or implement changes to ensure they’re in the best position to achieve their goals. Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted,” a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNBC.Meanwhile, citing a source familiar with the company’s plans, CNBC said that the cuts are happening across several different units, including Facebook, global operations, recruiting, sales and its virtual reality division Reality Labs. It added that some impacted employees are being offered new roles within the company, and some new positions will require relocation.

Mumbai: More than a month after the city’s first melody road was inaugurated, the BMC has decided to barricade it for now. This comes after residents from Breach Candy wrote to the municipal commissioner, raising strong objections to the music being played along the northbound stretch of the city’s coastal road, which cuts through residential neighbourhoods.A BMC official said, “Earlier this month, we asked the contractor to measure the decibel levels at the nearest building and found that it was within permissible limits. But then, as many residents aren’t in favour of it, we decided to barricade the road, and maybe we will keep it open only on special days or during weekends.”Nandini Chabria, on behalf of Breach Candy ALM and Breach Candy Residents Forum, said, “We are grateful to the municipal commissioner and the coastal road team for acknowledging and addressing the concerns of Breach Candy residents, who were subjected to the continuous ‘Jai Ho’ noise 24/7 for over a month. The sound was echoing into over 25 residential buildings, making it extremely difficult, especially for senior citizens, to rest peacefully. Due to its tonal nature, the noise carried across several homes in the area. We urge the authorities to ensure that such noise and light installations are located away from residential zones in the future.”It was on Feb 12 that the initiative was inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde. The musical road begins after motorists exit the underground tunnel at Breach Candy. There are special grooves that were laid over a 500-metre stretch in the first lane next to the divider. When vehicles travel over these grooves at a speed of 70–80 kmph, the tune of ‘Jai Ho’ from the film Slumdog Millionaire can be heard inside the vehicle. Similar musical roads exist in countries such as Hungary, South Korea and the UAE, but the Mumbai installation is the first of its kind in India.In a letter sent to the BMC and also marked to the Chief Minister’s Office, members of the Breach Candy ALM and the Breach Candy Residents Forum (BCRF), representing over 650 families, said the initiative has caused “significant distress” and serves no essential public necessity.Kavita Chawla, a Breach Candy resident whose home faces the coastal road, said that this prompt action by the BMC has come as a big relief to them. “We deserved a peaceful neighbourhood,” said Chawla.

Mumbai: The BJP in the BMC opposed the civic administration’s proposal to construct a town hall at the gymkhana grounds near Azad Maidan during the civic standing committee meeting held on Wednesday, and demanded that the site be used to build a new, larger civic hall to address space constraints faced by 232 corporators. This is for the fourth time that the party has opposed the plan.The proposal, prepared by the civic body, was repeatedly placed before the standing committee for approval, but each time was kept on hold. At Wednesday’s meeting, the proposal was sent back to the administration.The plan envisioned a govt-backed town hall, described as a formal civic auditorium designed to host public dialogue. The project was also conceived as a tourist attraction, featuring a glass dome and a viewing gallery offering panoramic views of the surrounding heritage precinct. A rooftop cafeteria was part of the proposal.To remain in harmony with the heritage character of the area, the structure’s height was planned to be proportionate, ensuring it does not obstruct the visibility or aesthetics of nearby historic landmarks. Therefore, a ground-plus-four-storey building that would house the Town Hall, along with restaurants, and would be accessible to the general public.During discussions, BJP leader in the BMC Ganesh Khankar objected to the plan, arguing that the prime location opposite the BMC headquarters should be reserved for a full-fledged municipal hall. Khankar said the current civic house was inadequate, forcing corporators to function in cramped conditions, with limited seating for even civic officials and journalists attending.“The administration should withdraw this proposal and prioritise a new civic house instead. I’m not saying that a town hall plan should be scrapped, but the administration should try to see how to accommodate both,” he said, adding that this proposal shouldn’t be brought before the committee again unless changes as suggested are made in the plans.Standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde of the BJP also said that the administration was bound to make a plan that benefits everyone.With the proposal referred back, officials said they would need to appoint a consultant to suggest how the changes could be accommodated. “A corporation hall needs to be made in a manner that the seating is circular so that everyone can see the presiding officer speaking,” said an official.

Moment Air Canada flight collides with the fire truck

Air Canada plane colliding with the fire truck

Moment Air Canada flight collides with the fire truck

Air Canada plane colliding with the fire truck

Moment Air Canada flight collides with the fire truck

Footage has surfaced capturing the exact moment an Air Canada flight collided with a fire truck while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, an incident that left both the pilot and co-pilot dead and several others injured.Also Read | Who was Antoine Forest? One of 2 Air Canada pilots killed in LaGuardia plane crash identifiedThe video shows the truck crossing the tarmac just as the aircraft slammed into it.“Oh God!” a person—likely watching the CCTV footage—is heard saying in the background.Moments before the collision, an air traffic controller can be heard urgently instructing the fire truck to stop over airport communications.Also Read | ‘Stop, stop, stop!’: Cockpit audio captures final moments between pilot, co-pilot before Air Canada crash kills bothAround 20 minutes later, the controller appeared to take responsibility, saying, “We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.”The truck had been cleared to enter the runway to check on a United Airlines aircraft that had reported an odour onboard.There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to the airline. The flight originated from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport.Also Read | Is LaGuardia Airport open? Hundreds of flights disrupted after fatal runway collision in New YorkAbout 40 passengers and crew members, along with two people from the fire truck, were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most were released by Monday morning, authorities said.The pilot and co-pilot who died were both based in Canada, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates LaGuardia. It was the 19th busiest airport in the US in 2024, with over 16.7 million passengers boarding there, according to a 2025 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database.FAA statistics show there were 1,636 runway incursions last year.LaGuardia will remain closed until at least early Monday afternoon (US local time) during the investigation, which is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board. Canada has also sent a team of investigators.(With AP inputs)

NEW DELHI: From free bicycles for schoolgirls to laptops for meritorious students, the Delhi government’s 2026-27 budget places a strong focus on student welfare, with major allocations aimed at improving access to education and digital learning.Presenting a Rs 1.03 lakh crore budget in the Assembly, a 3.7% increase over last year, chief minister Rekha Gupta described it as a “green budget”, with over 21% (Rs 22,236 crore) earmarked for environmental initiatives.