30 children geared to have been conceived using wrong IVF donors

A group of New York City homeowners has taken legal action against Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city’s finance authorities over the rollout of a new pied-à-terre tax, arguing that the administration wrongly identified some primary residences as potential second homes. The lawsuit was filed on Friday by homeowners Simon Hedley, Rachel O’Brien and Carmine Morano. The plaintiffs are not challenging the legality of the tax itself. Instead, their case focuses on how city officials identified properties and made information about potentially affected homeowners publicly available. The dispute follows the publication of a city property tax roll containing the names and addresses of more than 900,000 property owners. Although most of those properties are not subject to the new surcharge, nearly 17,000 homeowners received notices warning that their properties could potentially fall under the tax. The homeowners allege that the city’s process has incorrectly flagged primary residences and unnecessarily exposed private information. O’Brien said her family’s permanent home was identified as a possible second residence despite records indicating that the property was their primary residence. She described the situation as unreasonable and questioned why homeowners were publicly listed when their properties might not ultimately be subject to the tax. The plaintiffs have asked the court to declare the notices and the publicly released property information unlawful. They are also seeking restrictions on public access to the list. In addition, the homeowners want the city to suspend response requirements and halt enforcement measures while the legal proceedings are underway. A spokesperson for Mayor Mamdani said the administration was committed to ensuring that the tax process remained clear and accessible. The spokesperson added that the city’s Law Department was prepared to defend the administration against the lawsuit. The pied-à-terre tax targets qualifying non-primary residences valued at more than $5 million, along with certain cooperative apartments valued at $1 million or above. The surcharge was included in Mamdani’s fiscal 2027 budget as part of efforts to address New York City’s budget shortfall. The rollout has triggered significant criticism from affected homeowners. In response, Mamdani extended the deadline for property owners to demonstrate that their homes are their primary residences by four weeks. The new deadline is now September 18, giving homeowners additional time to challenge their classification and provide documentation to city authorities.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised strict action against those involved in examination paper leak scandals, making his first public comments since nationwide student protests erupted over alleged irregularities in the country’s examination system. In a statement shared on social media, Modi said the future and welfare of India’s youth were of the highest importance. He assured students that the government would take firm action against those responsible for examination fraud and announced plans to establish fast-track courts to ensure speedy trials in paper leak cases. The prime minister said no one would be allowed to jeopardise the future of young people for personal gain. He pledged that all those found guilty of manipulating examinations or leaking question papers would face strict legal consequences. His statement came after thousands of students and young people gathered in New Delhi to protest against repeated examination paper leaks and demand greater transparency in the education system. Demonstrators have also been calling for the resignation of the country’s education minister, accusing the government of failing to prevent repeated examination scandals. The protests have been organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that emerged through social media and has rapidly gained support among students and young voters across India. Initially launched as a satirical online campaign, the movement has expanded into a nationwide platform highlighting concerns over examination fraud, unemployment, and opportunities for young people. Tensions escalated earlier this week when large crowds attempted to march towards Parliament during the opening of the monsoon session. Police stopped the protesters by using tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowds. Clashes later broke out after some demonstrators threw stones at security personnel, resulting in injuries on both sides. According to official figures, at least 178 people, including police officers and security personnel, were injured during the violence. Several protesters also sustained injuries as confrontations continued in different parts of the capital. The latest demonstrations are among the largest youth-led protests seen in New Delhi in recent years. The movement has drawn widespread public attention and increased pressure on the government to restore confidence in India’s examination system. Public anger has grown following a series of examination controversies across the country. One of the biggest scandals involved the leak of a national medical entrance examination paper, forcing more than two million candidates to retake the test. Another controversy related to the online evaluation of high school examinations involving nearly two million students has further raised concerns about fairness and transparency. Students argue that repeated paper leaks are destroying merit and reducing confidence in the education system. Many believe honest candidates are being unfairly affected by corruption and poor oversight in the examination process.