A 22-year-old British man has been jailed for life for the murder of Saudi Arabian student Mohammed Algasim, who was stabbed to death outside student accommodation in Cambridge.Chas Corrigan was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years and six months at Cambridge Crown Court. The sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to the murder of a 20-year-old student in August 2025, reports BBC.The court heard that Algasim had traveled from Saudi Arabia to study English at a language school in Cambridge. On the night of the attack, he was sitting with friends near Cambridge railway station when Corrigan approached the group.Prosecutors said Corrigan had spent the evening drinking and taking drugs before carrying out the attack. During the trial, he admitted to drinking several alcoholic beverages and taking cocaine before heading to the station.Corrigan told jurors that he was carrying a kitchen knife for protection because he had been attacked before. He claimed that he initially approached the group to ask for a lighter and later returned after hearing shouting. According to his account, Algasim had stood up moments before the stabbing.However, prosecutors argued that the attack was unprovoked. CCTV footage shown during the trial showed Corrigan, wearing a high-visibility top, approaching the group moments before stabbing Algasim in the neck.Corrigan denied murder and claimed that he had only brandished the knife to scare people rather than to hurt them. Jurors rejected his account and found him guilty after deliberating for about two hours.During the sentencing hearing, Algassim’s father, Youssef Al Qassim, described the devastating impact of his son’s death.“Instead of looking at his achievements, I was faced with the unbearable reality of receiving his lifeless body,” he told the court.The judge also heard a statement from Algasim’s sister, Shatha Al Qassim, which was read in court by a family member.Corrigan’s father, Peter Corrigan, 50, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to assisting an offender.Cambridgeshire Police said CCTV footage showed them removing a blood-stained high-visibility jacket worn by their son on August 2, 2025 and placing it in a wheelie bin. Investigators also said he helped his son avoid arrest by allowing him to hide in a property on Holbrook Road.Detective Chief Inspector Dale Mapstead, who led the investigation, said the sentence reflected the seriousness of Corrigan’s actions.“Mohammed was a young man with his whole life ahead of him and his death has had a deep impact on everyone who knew him,” he said.Following the conclusion of the case, Algasim’s family said that losing Mohammed had left a “deep void” in their lives and that nothing could bring him back, however.

Ahead of the West Bengal elections, a video of Mamata Banerjee scolding Ritabrata Banerjee had gone viral, garnering widespread amusement. At a protest meeting of SIR, Ritabrata had started making speeches, but Mamata, in her inimitable style, publicly cut him off and asked him to focus on the burning issue of the day. No one knew that Ritabrata, MLA from Uluberia Purba, would evolve from a footnote in Bengal politics to the leader of the opposition in a sensational palace coup that has shaken Bengal politics. TOI spoke to leaders and pundits who have known Ritabrata for a long time to put together their story.

What is Ritabrata’s background?

While few would have predicted this trajectory, many of those who have observed Ritabrata for a long time remember him as a man of intelligence, a gift for tact and a deep knowledge of politics. Hailing from Jadavpur, a middle-class area of ​​South Kolkata, Ritabrata attended South Point High School, one of the most renowned schools of South Kolkata, later graduated with English Honors from Ashutosh College and later completed a master’s degree in English from the University of Calcutta. Belongs to a family that migrated from oper bangla(then East Pakistan and present-day Bangladesh), Ritabrata grew up to be a liberal leftist leader.West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Ashutosh Chatterjee recalls his association with college politics from his days. At that time, Ritabrata was actively associated with the Students’ Federation of India, the student wing of the CPI(M). Ashutosh remembers seeing Bengal’s latest opposition leader during various college elections, when he himself was campaigning for the Chhatra Parishad, the student wing of the Congress, and was impressed by Ritabrata’s sharp speeches. Ritabrata had left his mark at that time, this can be gauged from the fact that he became the All India General Secretary of SFI and in 2014, at the age of 34, he reached the Rajya Sabha from the Left. For the Left, which often rewards leaders after a long struggle at the grassroots level, such a promotion showed deep confidence in Ritabrata’s ability.

How was his performance in Rajya Sabha?

Ritabrata Banerjee’s Rajya Sabha record is in line with his personality of a learned parliamentarian. The PRS has recorded 823 questions, 275 debates/interventions and 77% attendance in his two terms so far. Between 2014 and the CPI(M) expulsions of 2017, his line was clearly reflecting traditional Left issues regarding farmers, workers, public institutions and centre-state neglect. After the expulsion, Parliament records include issues like farmers’ income in West Bengal, share of railways in freight traffic, recognition of Hindi and Bengali as official languages ​​in the United Nations, among other issues.After TMC nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 2024, his intervention moved closer to Trinamool’s cultural-federal line of Bengal identity, centre-state friction and institutional recognition for Bengal’s history.

Why the separation from CPI(M)?

While Ritabrata Banerjee was considered a protege of former Chief Minister and Left stalwart Buddhadev Bhattacharya, and some even called him the blue-eyed boy of the Left, his interest in developing a brand of his own while remaining within a dedicated party like the CPI(M) did not go unnoticed. This was often contrary to communist culture.He was eventually expelled from the party following disciplinary proceedings that included allegations of personal conduct and anti-party activity. He had frequent disagreements with powerful leftist leader Mohammad Salim and the committee led by Salim ultimately signed off on his expulsion.When contacted by TOI, Salim seemed dismissive of Ritabrata, despite his newfound fame. “We sneezed and TMC caught the virus and now they are suffering from fever. It was the RSS that originally supported TMC and now the party has reached its expiry date and so the recycling process is on,” Salim said.The Left leader flatly refused to go into Ritabrata’s early days in politics and said that for the party, once someone is out of its structure, it becomes a closed chapter. Ashutosh, on his part, recalled the time when both were on the same side and Ritabrata even campaigned for him in the 2016 assembly elections. Ashutosh recalls that the young leader, whom he came in contact with during student politics, had by then transformed into a “flamboyant political personality”.

How did Ritabrata enter TMC?

According to many political observers, Ritabrata needed to re-establish himself in his ‘cooling period’. Hurt by leaked lewd images and allegations of sexual abuse, which he denied, Ritabrata needed a reboot. The obsession with being a Bengali intellectual who could quote Marx at will had done its job.And he took on the difficult task of helping the TMC grow where it was weakest, in the tea gardens of north Bengal, where lush green fields have traditionally turned red. He used his old leftist connections to join TMC worker organisations. He was later awarded the prestigious post of head of INTTUC, the trade-union wing of TMC. To date, he remains the leader of the organization and through his interventions in the Rajya Sabha, has raised many issues related to workers in Bengal.While the jury is out on how successful he was in reactivating the party in North Bengal, it was enough to impress Abhishek Banerjee. After Ritabrata was nominated to the Rajya Sabha following the resignation of the Jawahar government, Abhishek Banerjee posted on Twitter: “This recognition is truly well-deserved, reflecting the tireless effort put in by @RitabrataBanerj in strengthening the organization and advocating for trade union workers across West Bengal. “Although it may take time, commitment, performance and hard work always pays off in the end.”Ritabrata Banerjee, on his part, remained respectful towards Mamata Banerjee, once saying in an interview that he had understood Lenin’s thought about politics by looking at Mamata Banerjee.

Why was Ritabrata chosen?

According to political analyst Subhamoy Maitra, Ritabrata is an intelligent political operator with perfect credentials. He has a well-known precedent of being openly anti-BJP in public and hence the Left, hoping to seize the emerging political void in the state, will find it difficult to completely discredit him. Maitra also believes that Ritabrata’s reputation of being honest has worked in his favor. In fact, the new leader of the opposition in Bengal is using it as a major calling card, saying that no one shouts “thief, thief” when he visits any area.However, Ashutosh completely dismisses Ritabrata as a “performing doll” who has never been a “good organizational leader”. While Salim clearly sees this breakaway faction of TMC as the handiwork of TMC and BJP, Ashutosh explores two theories. According to him, one possibility is that this is an internal game of TMC to stop the bloodshed of party MLAs. Many people were reportedly looking to formally or informally join other parties including Congress and this development has put a temporary break on it.However, the Congress leader says the more plausible theory is the “Eknath Banerjee” model, an apparent reference to the Eknath Shinde drama in Maharashtra politics. Ashutosh sarcastically said that just as we currently have a double engine government, similarly this is the Double-O opposition, which is an “opportunistic opposition”. He says that once the honeymoon period is over, people will express their resentment towards the BJP government and taking on the opposition is the easiest way to end such issues at least on the floor of the Assembly. If Ritabrata is indeed still an opposition leader, then why is he not protesting against the ongoing eviction of hawkers across Bengal, is his pointed question.Political analyst Maitra believes that Ritabrata’s brief “chance meeting” with Suvendu Adhikari in Delhi could have been a message to those looking to make the switch that he was the man of the moment. According to the seasoned political pundit, at the end of the day, Ritabrata could be a part of the larger power game in the BJP, where Suvendu Adhikari is also looking for some degree of political support against any kind of maneuvering in the future.

How did Ritabrata succeed in convincing the Muslim leaders?

Now, the obvious question arises: If the defection took place at the behest of the BJP, then how come about 17 Muslim MLAs also rebelled publicly? CPM leader Mohammad Salim has a blunt opinion on this. According to him, BJP never takes on Muslims publicly but depends on acolytes to fill certain vacancies in the political space. Similarly, TMC was an umbrella organization and many radicals from different religions had taken refuge there. The former MP believes that now all those with corrupt records are seeking refuge.Suspended TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta has said on Facebook that this is just a scam. Dhurandhar 2 will take place in the reorganization of the parliamentary party. He believes this is not the time of TMC, but of “Mamata Congress”, and the supremo needs to lead the opposition to reinvigorate the rank and file. But till then the party will continue to struggle with the existential crisis.Harold Wilson’s old line says, “A week is a long time in politics.” In Bengal, this often feels much longer. Few politicians embrace this better than Ritabrata Banerjee. Whether this rebellion turns into a durable political formation or collapses under the weight of its own contradictions remains to be seen. Many people before him have mistaken a moment for a movement. Ritabrata himself would know this better than anyone else.But for now, Bengal politics revolves around a man whom many had written off years ago. The former comrade, once expelled from the Left, now finds himself leading the opposition to the same party that gave him a second life. No one can limit him to a mere footnote in Bengal politics.

The audience recently watched the first preview of Tu Hi Re Dil Mein. The channel is preparing to launch another heartwarming show titled “Dilon Ki Ram Leela”. It’s an all-out tearjerker about love, family, and those intense emotions that feel like they rule our destinies. these are the stars Aastha Sharma and Mishkat Verma, and famous actors including ajaz khan and Manasi Salvi, together, what promises to be a very warm and emotional journey.The main character, Leela, seems to have everything – fancy money, top status and a luxurious life. But under all that luxury, she is alone and desperate for her father’s approval and wants to feel accepted and loved by her family. Therefore, she turns to Rama, her father’s loyal assistant. Over time, he becomes the rock she can depend on. For Ram, family is everything – more important than anything else. Her family supports her which is a far cry from Leela’s money and glamour. Despite these major differences, fate sets paths between them, creating an unstoppable relationship between them based on trust, care and comfort.Aastha Sharma, who will be seen as Leela, said, “I am extremely excited to be a part of Dilon Ki Ram Leela. Leela is an emotionally rich and interesting character, and I am really enjoying bringing her journey to life on screen. There is so much innocence, strength and emotion in her story, which makes her very special to play. I am really excited to see how the audience reacts to the show and connect with Leela’s emotional journey.“Mishkat Verma, who plays the role of Ram, said, “I am very happy to be a part of Dilon Ki Ram Leela. The story is extremely emotional and heart-touching, and I really feel that the audience will connect with it deeply. Shooting for the show has been an amazing experience so far, and I am thoroughly enjoying playing the role of Ram and getting to know his world and relationships.”Aijaz Khan said, “Being a part of Dilon Ki Ram Leela has been a very interesting experience for me. Both the show and my character are quite different from what the audience has seen before. The character has a lot of emotional depth, which honestly makes it both exciting and challenging to portray. It has been especially challenging for me to understand and play the character of a father who holds such a deep resentment towards his own daughter. I’m not a father myself, so finding that emotional space and understanding where those feelings come from has been a real learning experience. I’m constantly trying to find the right balance that feels authentic and relatable to the audience. When you look at the story, especially the complex relationship between a father and his daughter, it’s incredibly layered.”Mansi Salvi said, “I am very happy to be associated with Dilon Ki Ram Leela. I found both the story and my character extremely interesting right from the beginning. I have always loved playing strong women on screen and this character is such a powerful woman with so many emotional layers. I really hope that the audience connects with the story and give the show a lot of love.”

Former US Ambassador Carla Sands said Indians earn more in the US because they are cheaters.

Former US Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands has created a major controversy as she said that Americans are superior to Indians because they believe in the Ten Commandments and are not deceitful. Speaking on President Donald Trump’s aide Steve Bannon’s show, Sands said Indians as a group earn almost twice the per capita income than US citizens, and that’s because Americans come from a high-faith society and Judeo-Christian background. The former ambassador said, “There is generally no fraud in America. People follow the Ten Commandments and we treat others as we would have them treat us.”Sands said that foreign cultures bring with them corruption. “These visa holders often have to pay 5 or 10% of their salary forever to the person who gets them the job. They cheat and have fake diplomas. They pay for them in India. Recently a ring was busted that sold hundreds of thousands of fake degrees, mostly in STEM,” Sands said, accusing India of giving medical degrees to students who had not even studied medicine.This comment sparked a major controversy as immigration policy expert Daniel Di Martino, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, condemned Sands’s sweeping statement on Indians.Martino posted, “Indian immigrants succeed because they are educated, work hard, and follow the law. These are conservative values. It is shameful for anyone to say that Indians succeed through fraud. This poor excuse is no better than the leftist that says white people oppress black people.”Martino argued that fraud does not work in the long run and that Silicon Valley is not being run by Indian fraud. “Fraud doesn’t work long term. Google, Apple and Silicon Valley aren’t hiring thousands of fraudsters, and neither are hospitals. In fact, Indians are discriminated against by the leftist DEI regime. So stop lying,” Martino said.Martino said, “There is some fraud in every group, in everything and everywhere. He (Sands) is wrong to claim that Indians (in America) are exceptionally cheaters or that they earn more because of it, that is extremely wrong. They earn more for the same reason that white people earn more than blacks on average.”

‘American companies should hire Americans’

This is not the first time that Sands has expressed such strong opinions. Recently, he wrote an op-ed for The Washington Times with Samantha Flanigan arguing that Disney, Meta, Amazon should only hire Americans. “One example is the widespread network of India-based fraud that has devalued American skilled STEM labor. This fraud has also come at the expense of vulnerable Indian workers who are trying to pursue the American dream through legitimate means. Last year, Forbes reported that H-1B work-arounds have been used to avoid paying fair wages to Indian workers. Other accounts suggest employer exploitation through visa controls, as visas are tied to an employer,” he wrote.

New Delhi: The first graduating batch of the B.Tech program in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IIT-Roorkee’s Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence has recorded 100% placement among the students who participated in the campus recruitment process.Students from the inaugural batch secured offers in technology, finance, analytics and research-oriented sectors with recruiters including Amazon, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Qualcomm, Salesforce, Samsung Research, Databricks, Barclays, Visa and Warner Bros. Discovery.The program was launched in 2021 through a partnership between IIT-Roorkee and the Mehta Family Foundation.IIT-Roorkee Director KK Pant said the program was designed to build AI capabilities at the undergraduate level and prepare students for the development and deployment of AI-based solutions. “With this programme, IIT-Roorkee has sought to move beyond traditional engineering routes and create a pipeline of talent that is capable of designing, building and deploying AI systems in real-world contexts,” he said.The institute said the curriculum combines training in mathematics, computing, machine learning and responsible AI with application-oriented learning across all disciplines.Rahul Mehta, Founder, Mehta Family Foundation, said the placement results reflect the academic design and industry relevance of the programme. “To see every student from this inaugural cohort in top companies in India and around the world is a testament to the world-class program we have built at IIT Roorkee,” he said.The institute also reported strong internship results for current graduate students, with opportunities at organizations including Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce, Mastercard, Samsung, Databricks and Expedia. According to IIT Roorkee, many of these internships resulted in pre-placement offers.The institute said its postgraduate programs in data science and artificial intelligence have also recorded favorable placement results, indicating growing industry demand for graduates trained in AI and related technologies.

Rashid Khan’s absence from Afghanistan’s one-off Test against India has once again raised questions about whether the star leg spinner will play red-ball cricket again. However, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi refused to give any clarity on Rashid’s long-term Test future ahead of the match.

Rashid, one of Afghanistan’s greatest cricketers, was rested for the Test against India under a workload management plan aimed at protecting his long-term white-ball career. The leg spinner has significantly reduced his appearances in the longest format in recent years due to repeated emergence of back and shoulder problems.

In the pre-match press conference, Shahidi said that it is for Rashid and the selectors to decide on this matter.

Shahidi said, “Rashid has performed well in whatever Tests he has played. Personally, I have not spoken to Rashid about whether he will play Tests again or not. He has discussed it with the selectors and I do not want to talk about it.”

The comments make Rashid’s red-ball future uncertain despite his impressive record in the format. The 26-year-old has played only six Tests for Afghanistan but has already taken 45 wickets at an average of over 21, underlining the impact he can have whenever he is available.

Rashid also played a key role in some of Afghanistan’s most memorable moments in Test cricket, including their first Test win against Ireland and the famous win over Bangladesh in 2019, where he captained the side and produced stellar performances with both bat and ball.

Why has Rashid Khan stopped playing Test regularly?

Rashid’s reduced involvement in Test cricket is largely due to concerns over his physical fitness and workload.

The leg spinner has repeatedly battled back and shoulder injuries over the past few years, with medical experts reportedly advising him to carefully manage the bowling load associated with red-ball cricket. During previous Test matches, Rashid had to bowl more than 55 overs in an innings and more than 60 overs in a match, which put a lot of pressure on his body.

As a result, Afghanistan Cricket Board officials and the player have taken a cautious approach, with Rashid effectively limiting himself to approximately one Test appearance per year whenever possible.

The decision also ties in with his wider commitments in international white-ball cricket and franchise T20 leagues around the world. Rashid remains one of the most sought-after players in global T20 cricket and is seen as a key figure in Afghanistan’s ODI and T20I plans.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Rashid, Shahidi believes Afghanistan’s bigger challenge lies elsewhere.

Afghanistan wants more test cricket

While Afghanistan achieved Test status in 2017 and played their first Test against India in 2018, opportunities in the format remain limited.

Shahidi acknowledged that the lack of regular red-ball cricket continues to hinder Afghanistan’s development as a Test-playing nation.

“We played India in 2018. We have more experience now but we need to play more to build our Test team. When it comes to domestic cricket, we play six to seven red-ball games, but in Tests, we get only one or two games in a year,” he said.

The Afghanistan captain also refuted suggestions that the country’s best players are preferring franchise T20 cricket over the traditional format.

“Everyone knows that our guys perform very well in the franchise league and if you see, we have had good white-ball performances. But still, we have a lot of talent in Afghanistan waiting for their chance,” Shahidi said.

At the moment, Rashid’s Test future remains unanswered. However, it is clear that Afghanistan still see him as one of their most important cricketers, even if his sightings in white are becoming increasingly rare.

– ends

The couple were among the 12 foreign nationals who lost their lives in the fire that broke out at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani on Wednesday.

New Delhi: An African couple undergoing IVF treatment in Delhi was found dead in each other’s arms after a massive fire broke out at a hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area, killing 21 people.According to news agency PTI, the couple were among the 12 foreign nationals who lost their lives in the fire that broke out at the Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani on Wednesday.He was discovered inside a bathroom on the ground floor, where he apparently took refuge as smoke and flames spread rapidly through the building.Hospital staff and local residents said the couple were staying at the hospital while receiving fertility treatment at a nearby hospital.Wasim Raja, on duty at Max Smart Hospital and one of the first responders at the scene, said the scene he saw was unforgettable, according to news agency PTI.Raja said, “We somehow managed to open the bathroom door and saw something that is beyond words to describe. I have seen many dead bodies during my career, but nothing compared to what I saw there.”According to Raja, the woman, who had recently undergone a medical procedure and had a surgery scar on her head, was sitting on the toilet seat, while her husband was sitting on a chair next to her.“They were holding each other. Their arms were wrapped around each other and her head was resting on his shoulder,” he said.Rescue workers immediately checked for signs of life and attempted to revive him.“We checked his pulse and vitals and tried CPR and every possible life-saving measure, but there was no response. He probably died due to smoke inhalation,” he said.He said it appears the couple has chosen to stay together after the tragedy unfolded.King said, “When death was approaching, they decided to face it together in each other’s arms. It was a scene that will stay with me forever.”Iqrar, a local cab operator who lives near the hotel, said that many drivers in the area knew the couple as they frequently visited the hospital.“They were undergoing IVF treatment. Drivers in our area often brought them to the hospital and back. They came here with the hope of starting a family,” he said.The fire broke out on Wednesday morning and engulfed the five-storey hotel in no time. Twenty-one people were killed and many others were injured.Investigators probing the incident found that the roof exit was reportedly blocked. Officials also alleged that cooking heaters were being used in several guest rooms and that the establishment was operating far beyond its permitted capacity. While permission was reportedly given for only six rooms, around 25 rooms were reportedly being run from the premises.The exact cause of the fire is being investigated.Delhi Police has started searching for the absconding hotel manager and has issued a look out circular against the building owner and his wife. The owner of the hotel building, Lavkesh Bajaj, was arrested on Wednesday, hours after the incident.Those killed also included foreign nationals from African and Central Asian countries who had come to Delhi for treatment, employment or business opportunities.

New Delhi: Are fitness bands popularly used for measuring and monitoring physical activities and vital parameters a communication device? Supreme Court Agreed to investigate this question, but noted that its Bluetooth connectivity capability may be the reason for its classification as a communications device.Petitioner GOQii Technologies imported activity trackers/fitness bands, and the consignment was classified as communication devices by the Customs Department, asking the company to execute provisional duty bonds worth Rs 3.64 crore. The goods were released after the company gave a bank guarantee of Rs 1 crore.Petitioner’s counsel Kumar Sambhav told a bench of Justices PS Narasimha, Arvind Kumar and Shri Chandrashekhar that fitness bands measuring/counting devices should have been classified as ‘pedometers and similar/others’, but the Customs department mistakenly treated the goods as devices for ‘transmission or reception of data’ and imposed additional duty.The bench agreed to examine the questions raised by the petitioner, issued notice to the Commissioner of Customs (Import) and posted the matter for further hearing on September 11. “Till the next date of hearing, the bank guarantee shall not be enforced,” the bench ordered.“The main and principal function of the goods, as found on record, is measurement and monitoring of physical activity and vital parameters, and the data-connectivity (Bluetooth) feature is admittedly helpful,” the petitioner said.Justice Kumar said that when it can be connected to communication devices like mobile phones and other satellite-based communication systems through Bluetooth and serve as a communication device, it ceases to be a purely measuring device.The petitioner submitted before the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) that he had sought expert opinion from Bombay IIT that it was not a communication device but a measuring instrument, but the tribunal upheld the Customs Department’s stand.CESTAT had rejected the company’s petition to classify fitness bands as ‘pedometers’, saying, “The essential function of all pedometers is to measure the distance traveled by a person as he takes each step, a mechanism such as swinging a pendulum to one side and then back again or touching a metal contact to a swinging hammer to complete an electrical circuit for measuring each such step.”Maintaining the determination that these fitness bands were communication devices, CESTAT had said, “Once the activity tracker/fitness band or smart watch is synced with the GOQii application, regular activity data and sleep data, automatically and manually tracked, will be visible to coaches, who will provide daily support, resources, motivation, and interpretation of the tracking data to help the individual wearer stay on track to reach personal fitness goals.“