Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still grappling with its missteps in Minneapolis as an ICE agent, Christian Castro, has now been arrested for the January 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The 52-year-old ICE agent is the second federal agent to be charged over his conduct during the Minnesota crackdown, known as Operation Metro Surge, the first being Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr.

What happened on the evening of 14 January? What did the ICE agent do?

According to court documents, on the evening of the shooting, Castro had a brief altercation with Venezuelan migrant Alfredo Aljorna, whom he was trying to arrest after a car chase. When Aljorna broke free and entered her Minneapolis home, Castro fired a shot at the front door, wounding Aljorna’s roommate, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, in the leg. It was a non-fatal injury. Both of them are from Venezuela and are living legally in America.As protests over the shooting began, Castro misled investigators and told them that he had opened fire in self-defense after three men beat him for several minutes using shovels and brooms.Aljorna and Sousa-Celis were also charged based on this account.But surveillance footage later revealed that Castro’s statement was false. Charges against two Venezuelan men were dropped.As Castro was placed on leave in February, ICE interim director Todd Lyons said he was being investigated for allegedly lying under oath.But ICE officials are not supporting the state’s charges against Castro and his arrest and believe it is nothing more than a political stunt. “This is a federal issue and should be handled at the federal level,” the agency said in a statement Friday.If Castro waives his right to an extradition hearing in Texas, he could be quickly transported to Minnesota to stand trial. If he fights extradition, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, would need to make a formal request for his extradition to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee On Saturday, during a visit to Sonarpur South in West Bengal, where he was meeting families affected by post-poll violence, he was beaten and stoned.According to police, stones, eggs and shoes were thrown at Banerjee during her journey from South 24 Parganas. Eyewitnesses said that during the visit a group of unidentified people raised slogans of “thief”, threw objects at the TMC MP and allegedly tried to physically attack him.In the video of the incident, Banerjee is seen being taken away by security personnel wearing a police helmet and her shirt is seen torn in the scuffle.The TMC leader had gone to meet the family of slain party worker Sanju Karmakar and other families who, according to the party, were targeted after the assembly election results.Also read: ‘Even if you cut my throat…’: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee says after FIR, CID summons

‘They wanted to kill me’

Banerjee, who appeared shocked after the attack, reacted to the incident and alleged that BJP was behind it. “This is all BJP sponsored. Look what they have done. This is an example of their democracy. Not even a month has passed and the police are nowhere to be seen,” he told reporters.He said, “…They wanted to kill me…The entire incident has been captured on camera. We will definitely tell the High Court about it. We will also tell the Governor about it…I will definitely go to the court…”The visit was Banerjee’s first major public appearance after TMC’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections 26 days ago. He was also scheduled to meet the families of other party workers allegedly affected by the post-poll violence in Sonarpur South and Beleghata.Earlier in the day, the West Bengal CID had served a notice to Banerjee directing her to appear before investigators at Bhabani Bhawan, the agency’s headquarters in Kolkata, at noon on June 1. Responding to the summons, Banerjee said she would consult her legal team before replying. “I have not yet seen the contents of the notice. I will consult my lawyers and give an appropriate reply. I will certainly cooperate in the investigation in every possible way,” he said.Banerjee alleged that multiple agencies were being used to target him and said that he would cooperate in the investigation while continuing his political activities.“Let them do whatever they want. They can do whatever they want. Understand it this way, earlier it was just ED, CBI and now there is Bengal Police and Kolkata Police along with KMC (Kolkata Municipal Corporation),” Banerjee said.“Earlier there were 2-3 investigating agencies and now there are 5. They think they will send 5-6 agencies after me and blackmail me to scare me. “I’m not that kind of person,” he said.The summons pertains to the CID investigation into the alleged use of forged signatures of Trinamool Congress MLAs in a communication submitted to the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat in support of senior TMC leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of the Opposition.Also read: From Z-Plus security to snatched surveillance: Why did police reach Abhishek Banerjee’s residence?

Even Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill’s match-winning century could not overshadow the talent of Rajasthan Royals teenage player Vaibhav Suryavanshi. After their high-profile Qualifier 2 clash, Gill had the most praise for the 15-year-old wonderkid, boldly declaring him the best batsman in the world at the moment.

Titans defeated Royals to secure their place in the IPL 2026 final. But Suryavanshi’s inning of 96 runs in just 47 balls remained a topic of discussion in the cricket world. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the summit clash, Gill expressed his deep amazement at the young player’s fearless approach and technical brilliance.

“I think it’s a remarkable season for him. I haven’t seen anyone bat like that. At the moment, he’s one of the best batsmen in the world. It’s remarkable to watch him, not just the hitting, but his batting mechanics and his arm speed, no matter what opponent he plays against. The way he didn’t care after the flyer, but still managed to come back into the game and put us under pressure, it tells you about the mentality. “I think we’ll have a tough time against the opposition we play in the coming years.”

Gill’s praise was well earned Suryavanshi’s breathtaking innings kept RR in the hunt despite facing a ferocious bowling attack. A defining moment of his maturity came when he was hit on the helmet by a sharp, rising bouncer from GT speedster Kagiso Rabada. Instead of getting upset, the young opening batsman calmly got his mandatory medical assessment done, dusted himself off and continued to demolish the opposition bowling. During this brilliant innings, the prodigy also broke records by becoming the fastest player to reach 1,000 IPL Runs in terms of balls faced – surpassing powerhouse Andre Russell – and second fastest in terms of innings (23), just behind Shaun Marsh (21).

While Rajasthan’s campaign has come to a halt, Gujarat Titans are now getting ready to face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2026 Final in Ahmedabad on May 31, in what will be an exciting rematch of their Qualifier 1 battle.

What next for Vaibhav Suryavanshi after IPL 2026?

There is little time for the young talented player to relax as his impressive domestic exploits have already opened the doors to the international circuit. Suryavanshi had a dream start to the IPL season as the proud holder of the Orange Cap, scoring an incredible 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and an astonishing strike rate of 237.30, which included one century and five fifties.

His reward for this historic performance is his maiden call-up to the India A squad for their upcoming assignment in Sri Lanka. All eyes will now be on the 15-year-old as he makes the transition from franchise cricket to the national setup for the much-awaited tri-series, which is scheduled to begin on June 9.

ipl 2026 | ipl schedule | ipl points table | ipl player stats | purple cap | orange cap | ipl video | cricket news | live score

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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday ordered framing of charges against 17 accused, including alleged swindler Sukesh Chandrashekhar and actor. Jacqueline FernandezAn alleged Rs 200 crore extortion and money laundering case is being investigated Enforcement Directorate (ED), paving the way for trial proceedings.The court said the accused “should be charged with the offense (of money laundering) under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which is punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA”.Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Prashant Sharma said that “prima facie, there is sufficient material on record based on which strong suspicion is raised against all the accused.”According to the prosecution, Chandrashekhar was running an organized criminal network from inside the jail and was impersonating senior government officials, including officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, Home Ministry and Law and Justice Ministry, PTI reported. He was arrested by Delhi Police in 2017 and by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021. Complainant Aditi Singh and her family alleged that they were induced to pay huge amounts of money through fake calls, encrypted applications and fabricated identities.The prosecution also alleged that the accused generated crime proceeds of over Rs 200 crore through extortion, fraud, impersonation and criminal intimidation. The money was later hidden, held, transferred, layered and presented as untainted assets with the help of associates.According to the ED, the proceeds of crime were used to buy properties, high-end luxury vehicles and expensive gifts. The agency also alleged that the money was sent through various bank accounts, hawala channels, cash delivery and shell entities.During the investigation, searches were conducted at several places and various incriminating materials were collected. ED said that the statements of the accused and several witnesses were recorded under Section 50 of PMLA.The agency said digital evidence including mobile phones, WhatsApp chats, Telegram communications, fake call records, forensic extraction reports, banking transactions and cash movement details were also collected.In its second supplementary complaint against Jacqueline Fernandez, the ED alleged that she was in constant touch with Chandrashekhar and had received valuable gifts from him through Pinky Irani.Apart from Sukesh Chandrashekhar alias Sukash Chandrashekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul alias Leena Paulose, Jacqueline Fernandez, Deepak Ramnani, Pradeep Ramdani, B Mohanraj, Arun Muthu, D Kamlesh Kothari and Pinky Irani are among the accused.The other accused are Pooja Singh, Dharam Singh Meena, Mahendra Prasad Sundriyal, Sundar Bora, Komal Poddar, Jitendra Narula, Avinash Kumar and Jai Prakash Singhal.

Pakistan has hired a US lobbying firm led by former Republican Congressman Tom Graves under a two-year contract aimed at advancing Islamabad’s diplomatic, economic and strategic interests in Washington.Pakistan’s embassy in Washington signed a two-year agreement with Erwin Graves Strategy Group earlier this month, according to documents filed with the US Justice Department. Under the contract, the company will receive $50,000 per month to support Pakistan’s outreach efforts in the US, news agency PTI reported.The agreement mandates the firm to engage with the U.S. Congress, executive branch agencies, policy institutions, industry stakeholders, and “other relevant actors in the Washington policy environment.”Among its responsibilities, the lobbying group will monitor legislative and policy developments that could impact Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally of the US. It will also look at issues related to sanctions, human rights and security assistance that may have an impact on Islamabad.The company is also tasked with expanding Pakistan’s engagement with the editorial boards and opinion sections of major media organizations and identifying policy voices, including lawmakers, think-tank experts and academics, who can help strengthen Pakistan’s strategic importance.The agreement also calls for holding a reception, roundtable and closed-door policy discussions involving US lawmakers, government officials and Pakistani representatives at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.The lobbying firm will coordinate visits of members of Congress and Congressional staff to Pakistan and provide briefings prior to such visits. It has also been asked to facilitate the participation of MPs and Congressional staff in events hosted by the Ambassador of Pakistan, including diplomatic and policy-focused functions.Additionally, the company will reach out to members of Congress serving on committees related to foreign affairs, defense, trade, appropriations, and national security, providing strategic support aimed at increasing membership and participation in the Congressional Pakistan Caucus.The move comes amid Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to position itself as a mediator in talks between Tehran and Washington on the US-Iran conflict, which has entered its fourth month and remains under a fragile ceasefire. However, a March congressional report said more than a dozen terrorist groups continued to operate from Pakistan despite years of military operations.

Being the most populous state of the country, Uttar Pradesh – With 80 Lok Sabha seats and 403 assembly constituencies – it is widely seen as the “Gateway to Delhi”. Buoyed by its landslide victory in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, which brought the party to power in the state for the first time, BJP Now our focus has been shifted to UP. When elections are held in Uttar Pradesh early next year, the saffron party will complete almost a decade in power in the state.A victory here will have far-reaching political implications, especially considering the next Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2029.

BJP’s caste mathematics before 2027

With caste dynamics expected to play a significant role, the BJP government in the state expanded its cabinet earlier this month, less than a year before the crucial elections. Chief Minister Yogi AdityanathSet to make an unprecedented bid for a third consecutive term, former state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and Samajwadi Party (SP) rebel Manoj Pandey were inducted as cabinet ministers. Kailash Rajput, Hansraj Vishwakarma, Krishna Paswan and Surendra Diler were inducted as ministers of state.Additionally, ministers of state Ajit Singh Pal and Somendr Tomar were made ministers of state with independent charge.Among the new entrants, Chaudhary, Vishwakarma and Rajput are from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, while Tomar is from the influential Gujjar community, which wields influence in parts of western UP. The Pals represent the Pal community, which has a significant presence in the Kanpur-Agra belt. SP rebel Pandey belongs to the Brahmin community.The cabinet reshuffle was widely seen as an attempt by the BJP to counter its arch rival SP’s “backward, Dalit, minority” (PDA) narrative – referring to backward classes, Dalits and minorities – which has emerged as the central plank of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s political strategy in the state. According to political observers, the SP’s PDA pitch, along with several other factors, played a key role in it winning 37 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the BJP’s seats dropped to just 33 from 62 in 2019 and 71 in 2014.

A Kurmi UP BJP chief

Earlier, in December 2025, the BJP had appointed Union minister and Lok Sabha MP Pankaj Chaudhary as the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit.Chaudhary, like his predecessor Bhupendra Chaudhary, belongs to the Other Backward Class (OBC) and belongs to the Kurmi community.Within the OBCs, Kurmis are the second largest community in Uttar Pradesh after Yadavs. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the highest number of Kurmi candidates were on the BJP ticket with 27 wins. The SP-led alliance also had a notable presence within the community, with 13 of its 125 winning candidates being Kurmi candidates. Among the prominent Kurmi candidates from the opposition was Pallavi Patel of Apna Dal (Kameravadi). Patel defeated Deputy Chief Minister and former state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu assembly constituency by over 7,300 votes.

Yogi Adityanath as CM face

Recently, BJP national president Nitin Nabin had announced that the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of Adityanath.

The endorsement by the party chief not only came as a blow to the Chief Minister, but also effectively put an end to speculations over who would lead the campaign.The announcement was significant because from time to time, speculations of “differences” between Adityanath and the top BJP leadership had resurfaced, as well as rumors that he might be replaced as chief minister.Political analysts say the statement confirms Yogi’s position as the central figure of the party in UP and turns the upcoming election battle into a direct referendum on his governance.

The state which was once known for extortion and crime, is today known for better law and order and expressways.

Nitin Nabin, BJP President

Adityanath was serving his fifth consecutive term in the Lok Sabha as MP from Gorakhpur when he was chosen to lead Uttar Pradesh after the BJP’s landslide victory in 2017, which brought the party back to power in the state after 15 years.That success was widely attributed to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Adityanath has since become the BJP’s most prominent Hindutva face, and has earned the nickname “Bulldozer Baba” for his controversial but popular policy of using bulldozers to demolish properties linked to alleged criminals. He is also one of the most sought-after campaigners of the party.

Counter to the statement ‘The Constitution is in danger’

The BJP is also working to counter the opposition’s “Constitution is in danger” narrative at the grassroots level. Experts agree that the campaign played a key role in the party’s setbacks in several states, including UP, which led to the Narendra Modi government losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since coming to power at the Center in 2014.This narrative stems from repeated comments made by BJP leaders about “changing the Constitution” and is further enhanced by PM Modi’s “cross 400” call. The opposition’s campaign resonated with a large section of voters, especially the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, as Dr. BR Ambedkar – widely regarded as the “Father of the Constitution” – belonged to the Dalit community. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won only 8 of the 17 SC-reserved constituencies in 2024, down from all 17 in 2014 and 14 in 2019.Admitting that the “Samvidhan” narrative has hurt the party, a UP BJP functionary told The Times of India that the opposition will not be allowed to “mislead” voters this time. “It appears that the opposition is considering the same strategy again, but we will not allow it to influence the voters this time,” he said.According to the 2011 census, the last such exercise before the current census starting in April, India’s Scheduled Caste (SC) population stood at 20.14 crore. Data released by the Central Census Directorate in 2013 showed that with 20.5%, Uttar Pradesh had the highest Scheduled Caste population in the country, followed by West Bengal (10.7%).In Uttar Pradesh, Dalits constitute about 21% of the state’s estimated 241 million population, the second largest share after OBCs (40–50%).

Akhilesh Yadav’s pressure on PDA

Despite the BJP’s comeback after the setback in the general elections – it now rules 21 of the 28 states and union territories, either on its own or with allies – the SP is set to double down on its PDA narrative.A recently released booklet titled “PDA Audit Part-1” is a step in that direction.

They (BJP) are nervous about PDA. They won’t understand what PDA is

-Akhilesh Yadav, SP President

SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav, who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017 in his first and so far only term, cited the booklet to accuse the BJP of discrimination against the PDA block. He alleged that under the Yogi government, more than 11,500 posts reserved for candidates from “PDA categories” in 22 recruitment exams in the state have been affected. According to the Socialist Party, the purpose of the “audit” is to draw attention to what they describe as “discrimination” against these social groups in the selection and representation for key government posts, including posts such as District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, where they allege they are under-represented despite reservation provisions.Yadav coined the term “PDA” in 2023. Together, these three groups account for about 70–75% of the state’s voters, making them a decisive voting block.

Where pollsters see Uttar Pradesh a year before the elections

The election may still be about a year away, but political analysts have already started to paint a picture of the situation – if only for now.Pradeep Gupta’s Axis My India, one of the more reliable pollsters, said the BJP is comfortably ahead of the SP in Uttar Pradesh.“Looking at the overall feedback from Uttar Pradesh, the satisfaction level seems to be strong,” Gupta told PTI.

If we consider the feedback of Uttar Pradesh as a whole, we can say that the satisfaction percentage is good. Keeping this in mind, as the situation stands today, there doesn’t seem to be much trouble (for the BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.

Pradeep Gupta, Axis My India

However, he cautioned that the situation could change “very rapidly” as Uttar Pradesh is a “different kind of state”.Gupta also pointed to the possibility of fragmentation of votes due to the presence of four major players – BJP, SP, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress.

Once SP had formed a majority government with around 26% votes, and Mayawati had done the same with around 29%. So even if one third or about 33% people are satisfied and the votes are divided, the party with 25% (votes) can also win

Pradeep Gupta, Axis My India

For the BJP, often described as a party that is always in “campaign mode”, the battle is already underway – the party is trying to strengthen its social alliance, counter the SP’s PDA narrative and create history by winning for the third consecutive time in Uttar Pradesh.Meanwhile, the challenge for the opposition will be to recapture the momentum that it had generated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but has since wasted, and convert this into a sustained electoral challenge against the BJP in the state.