Iran retaliates for killing of security chief Larijani: hits Tel Aviv with cluster missiles
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The Israeli attack also claimed the lives of his son, Morteza, and his top deputy, Alireza Bayat. General Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij paramilitary force, was killed in a separate strike. |
TEHRAN, Mar 18 (INS): The Iranian Government has officially confirmed the death
of Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and
a pivotal figure in the nation’s wartime leadership, next only to the late Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was taken down on day one of the war.
Larijani, 67, was killed in an Israeli airstrike overnight Monday in Tehran,
an attack that also claimed the lives of his son Morteza, and his top deputy,
Alireza Bayat. General Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij paramilitary
force, was killed in a separate strike.
Iranian State media reported that Ali Larijani was killed at his daughter's
house in the Pardis area in Tehran. Footage from Pardis shows a residential
area destroyed in the Israeli strike. It is feared several civilians were also
killed.
Larijani was Iran's de facto leader: Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday, "This morning, we eliminated
Ali Larijani. Ali Larijani is the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, that group
of gangsters that effectively runs Iran." Israel had called him Iran's de facto
leader.
The Supreme National Security Council issued a statement late Tuesday, praising
Larijani as a "righteous servant" who achieved the "sweet grace of martyrdom"
after decades of service to the Islamic Revolution. Widely considered the de
facto leader of Iran since the killing of Khamenei on the war's opening day,
Larijani’s assassination marks the most significant blow to the Iranian leadership
structure in weeks.
State media reported that a massive funeral procession was scheduled for Wednesday
morning in central Tehran. Despite the ongoing aerial bombardment, thousands
were expected to gather to pay their respects to Larijani and General Gholamreza
Soleimani, the head of the Basij paramilitary force, who was killed in a separate
strike. The funeral is taking place during a period of intense national tension,
coinciding with the approach of the Persian New Year, Nowruz.
Cluster munitions for retaliation
In immediate response to the killing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) launched a wave of retaliatory strikes. Iranian State television confirmed
the use of Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr missiles equipped with cluster munitions
targeting Tel Aviv and central Israel.
(These missiles operate as cluster munitions, opening in the air to release
multiple "bomblets" or submunitions. While the container is a missile, the payload
consists of cluster bombs/submunitions.)
The IRGC described the barrage as "revenge for the blood of the martyrs," emphasizing
that the use of cluster warheads was intended to saturate and evade Israeli
air defence systems.
Reports from Israel indicate at least two fatalities and several injuries as
shrapnel from the dispersed submunitions rained down over residential areas
in the Sharon region and Tel Aviv.
Premeditated murder: Russia
The assassination has drawn sharp condemnation from the Kremlin. In a stern
statement, Russia labeled the targeted strike on a high-ranking diplomat and
security official as "premeditated murder" and a flagrant violation of international
law. Moscow warned that such "decapitation strikes" only serve to extinguish
any remaining hope for a diplomatic off-ramp, pushing the Middle East toward
a point of no return.
Conversely, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the operation,
describing Larijani as a "mastermind of repression," while US officials noted
that Larijani had been under heavy sanctions for his role in domestic crackdowns.
The US had sanctioned Larijani in January accusing him of violent crackdown
on protesters during the anti-government uprising that began in December. Over
six thousand people were killed.
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SELECTIONS FROM OUR ARCHIVES |
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US-Mexican border being painted black for thermal deterrence of illegal immigrants
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Black proofing of the 2000-km iron wall is the brainchild of Trump although he is innocent of physics or for that matter anything of science. To demonstrate the will power behind the President's decision, Noem also picked up a roller brush where the work is going on. (Aside: But illegal immigrants can cross the border at night! Nights are cooler.)
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Post-Alaska: Trump now shelves the 25% penalty tariff on Indian goods |
WHO GOT WHAT: For Putin, the summit marked a symbolic return to global
legitimacy—an escape from diplomatic isolation - a great leap forward, standing
on his head. He even floated proposals for joint US–Russia ventures, signaling
a bold pivot toward normalization. (Where have the sanctions gone!)
For Trump, the meeting served to boost his self-styled image as a master dealmaker,
inching him closer to what some insiders describe as his “obsessive” pursuit
of the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether this ambition compromises national interest
is a question critics are now asking aloud. Ironically, the original Alaska
agenda was left untouched—overshadowed by optics, ambition, and the choreography
of power.)
(Aside: Let’s put the Ukraine issue simply. Imagine India is obsessed
with national security. It decides to invade and own not the bordering Pakistan
or Bangladesh but Sri Lanka or the Maldives—not across a land border, but across
the sea—because it perceives growing Chinese influence in the ocean as a threat.
Now apply that logic to Russia. Putin wants to annex Ukrainian territory across
the strategic Black Sea—not just for land, but to control the strategic sea
route itself. Same style, a decade ago it annexed Crimea. So he invaded Ukraine
again for more. It is not a war but is an invasion. It’s not just about borders.
It’s about expansion and dominance. Now let the common man take the explanation
forward! Let us not be confused! Ukraine is not at war! There is no war!)
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Tamil Nadu unveils its own education policy, rejects Centre’s NEP | |
- The State will have a two-language formula for the schools—Tamil and English.
- Goodbye to the fraud called entrance exams: No competitive entrance exam for higher education - Admissions will be based on Class 11 and 12 marks. (See footnote)
- The SEP and the State's determination to bring education back to the State
List constitute a structured resistance to the Centre’s ultimate designs for centralisation of governance.
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Air India Boeing 787-8 crash: Who switched off fuel supply to engines? No answer
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The preliminary probe report claims both the fuel control switches were in ‘CUT OFF’ mode moments after lift-off (FADEC may be set to register like that). But the switches are mounted on the centre pedestal, between the seats of the captain and the first officer at arm's length. Who can switch it off? Transitioning is a two-stage manual procedure and that makes a clicking sound also. Not one, both switches! The switches are so protected by multiple layers of physical and procedural safeguards and guarded by metal brackets for a third party to meddle with easily. The cockpit is locked during takeoff. They are handled only for start and after landing, also in emergencies. Is it possible that the pilot just missed to put the switch to RUN while on the runway and the aircraft, a good one, was running on residual fuel? Which it can do for 20 to 40 seconds. The Air India flight stalled after 32 seconds of passing the Go/NoGo point.
(Soon after the videos came into public domain, the next day of the crash, our aviation expert had stated in these columns, the crash had something to do with the fuel line.)
(Soon we will put together another diverse discourse with experts to dispel any nagging doubts surrounding aviation dynamics that are stirring curious minds in the current context.)
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The First Buddy's fallout: Musk launches ‘America Party’ to spite The New Trump; Will the business empire crash?
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TRUMP: "We'll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know
what DOGE is? The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t
that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies (Tesla and SpaceX)." Nobody on
earth ever got so much of Government subsidies as Musk, The New Trump declared
audaciously when the 'Beautifiul Bill' that scraps Tesla subsidies made its
entry into the Capitol. Musk knew the Bill spelt his death knell...
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Top Govt officer thrashed, kicked inside Bhubaneswar office: Incident sparks a debate
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The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
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UK's House of Commons votes to legalise assisted dying: What it means | |
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
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What caused Air India Boeing 787 crash? Some questions, some answers | |
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
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Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line brings Kashmir Valley on India's rail map |
- The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
- The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
- The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest
railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)
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Work done, Elon Musk steps down from DOGE, leaves White House | |
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
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Ailing Asiatic lion Pataudi too dies of bird flu at Kanpur zoo
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Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
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48 tourist destinations closed in Kashmir following Pahalgam terror attack
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As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
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