Khamenei was one of the most evil people in history, said Trump. He said the bombing will continue. Israeli forces were still aiming at Iranian missile supplies and defence systems Sunday morning. No flights will pass through West Asia.

TEHRAN, Mar 1: In a stunning military operation that has decapitated the leadership of the Islamic Republic, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office on Saturday morning in the US-Israeli air strikes, State media confirmed on Sunday morning. A 40-day State mourning was declared.

About 40 officials were also killed in the raids. Sources said nearly 200 people were killed across Iran in the extensive air attacks. Over 100 people were killed when a school building came under attack.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead," Trump also wrote on his Truth Social platform. He said Khamenei was "one of the most evil people in History" and urged Iranians "take back their country."

Trump has said the bombing will continue despite the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israeli forces continued to aim at Iranian missile supplies and defence systems Sunday morning.

Khamenei's compound in Tehran was destroyed in Saturday's joint US-Israeli air attacks. Iran had retaliated raining missiles across West Asia targeting US bases. Explosions were heard in several countries. Casualties were reported from Dubai and Qatar and other countries.

Satellite imagery and local reports indicate that the compound was largely leveled. Along with the 86-year-old cleric, several members of his inner circle and family—including his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild—reportedly perished in the bombardment.

The Assembly of Leadership Experts composed of clerics will appoint Khamenei's successor immediately as per the Islamic Constitution.

No flights pass through West Asia. There is total chaos at airports.

Trump statement

Trump said on his Truth Social: "This is not only justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans.

"He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he or the other leaders that have been killed along with him could do.

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country," Trump added.

"The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue uninterrupted throughout the week or as long as necessary to achieve our objective," he said.

'Operation Epic Fury' and 'Roaring Lion'

The joint offensive, codenamed 'Operation Epic Fury' by the United States and 'Roaring Lion' by Israel, involved a sophisticated wave of "pinpoint" aerial strikes. Trump announced the success of the mission via social media, describing it as the "single greatest chance" for the Iranian people to reclaim their sovereignty.

The Pentagon confirmed the strikes also eliminated several high-ranking military figures, including General Mohammad Pakpour, Head of the IRGC Ground Forces, Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s Defence Minister, and Ali Shamkhani, Senior Advisor to the Supreme Leader.

The scene in Iran

While the Iranian Government has declared 40 days of mourning and seven days of public holidays, the reaction on the ground has been polarized.

In some districts of Tehran and Karaj, reports and videos surfaced showing citizens celebrating in the streets, while other areas remain under heavy smoke and a cloud of uncertainty.

The IRGC has vowed "severe and decisive revenge" against the "murderers" of the Imam.

Global impact

The regional fallout from the strikes has been immediate and widespread, creating a ripple effect across global markets and security sectors.

In the hours following the initial strikes, Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones across the Persian Gulf. Retaliatory strikes hit targets in Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. A drone strike was reported on Bahrain's Era Tower and explosions were noted near Dubai International Airport, leading to a total suspension of many international flights.

US military installations in Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq were targeted, though CENTCOM reports minimal damage and no US casualties thus far.

The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting where Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the region is on the "brink of a chain of events nobody can control."

Countries including Australia, India and China have issued urgent "Do Not Travel" warnings for West Asia, with China advising its citizens in Israel to evacuate immediately.

Indirect nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman, which were scheduled to move to Geneva this week, have effectively collapsed following the strikes.

Oil prices have seen a sharp spike as the Strait of Hormuz faces potential closure, and international airlines have rerouted almost all traffic away from West Asian airspace.

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.

The irony lies in her illustration of her experiences in the country she has been living in for the last four years. What it really is!

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!

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.

Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.

• 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)

A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924) (Today's headlines )

Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”

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 )

"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...

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.

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.

The committee headed by justice Kurian Joseph will study Centre-State relations and make proposals to ensure foolproof separation of powers.

"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.

Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.

ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!

What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America! (Today's headlines )

PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).

In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.

THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.

The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.

Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See: New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)