Kushner’s Gaza mission end in deadlock as Israel…

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.

Bollywood actor and BJP Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut has come under heavy criticism after making a series of controversial remarks about young people who participated in recent anti government protests in India. Her comments, shared on social media, quickly went viral and triggered strong reactions from politicians, activists, and social media users. The controversy began after a 36 day protest led by the Cockroach Janata Party along with students and civil society groups ended on July 25. The demonstrations concluded after the government accepted several key demands, including the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. A few days later, Ranaut posted on Instagram, where she strongly criticised videos from the protests held at Jantar Mantar. She described the footage as disturbing and accused participants of displaying behaviour that she considered offensive and lacking basic values. She questioned the conduct and language of the young protesters and claimed their actions reflected poorly on the country’s cultural traditions. In another post, Ranaut focused on young women who took part in the demonstrations. She argued that true independence comes through personal responsibility, career choices, and accountability rather than simply demanding freedom. Referring to the younger generation as “Generation Gutter,” she claimed many participants were promoting irresponsible lifestyles while depending on their families for financial support. The actor also suggested that independence must be earned through hard work and self reliance. She criticised what she described as a culture of entitlement among some young people and argued that freedom without responsibility leads to negative consequences. Ranaut continued defending her position in another social media post, saying that those who publicly express strong opinions should also be prepared to face criticism. She claimed that if protesters insult public leaders or damage public property, they should expect a response from people who support the government. Referring to Newton’s third law of motion, she argued that every action naturally brings an equal reaction. Her remarks immediately attracted widespread criticism online. Many users accused her of making disrespectful and insulting comments about an entire generation. Others argued that her statements distracted attention from the issues that motivated the protests in the first place. Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury criticised Ranaut’s language, saying it was disappointing for a sitting Member of Parliament to make such remarks about young citizens. She added that public representatives should communicate more responsibly and suggested that Ranaut could eventually face political consequences for her comments. Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi also condemned the actor’s statements. He expressed confidence that India’s younger generation would respond through democratic means and reject the views she had expressed. Several social media users also pointed to Ranaut’s previous controversial remarks, including comments about actor Urmila Matondkar and participants in earlier protests such as the Shaheen Bagh and farmers’ demonstrations. Critics argued that her latest statements followed a pattern of using harsh language against those with opposing views. Others accused the actor of hypocrisy, saying she frequently criticises the tone of her opponents while overlooking aggressive language used by members of her own political camp. One user described her comments as deeply offensive and questioned why someone in a position of influence would use social media to attack young women instead of encouraging meaningful discussion. The debate has once again placed Ranaut at the centre of political and social controversy. While her supporters defended her right to express her opinions, critics argued that public figures should promote respectful dialogue, especially when discussing young people participating in democratic protests. The exchange has continued to fuel intense debate across social media platforms, reflecting the growing political divide over youth activism and freedom of expression in India.

Romania has completed a full shutdown of its Cernavoda nuclear power plant after severe drought dropped water levels in the Danube River to historic lows. The plant, which relies on the Danube for cooling and typically provides 20% of the country’s electricity generation, took its second reactor offline following the prior closure of its first reactor in late July. State operator Nuclearelectrica stated that the second reactor was shut down due to the ongoing drop in water levels, with no restart anticipated for at least ten days. To mitigate the energy shortfall, Romania declared a state of emergency for August, activated a 330-megawatt lignite-fired power plant, and requested that major industrial consumers and households curb power use during peak hours. Major automakers including Dacia and Ford have paused domestic production to help conserve power. The total shutdown immediately threatens energy security in neighbouring Moldova, which relies on Romanian imports to cover up to 60% of its electricity deficits. Moldovan authorities warned of potential rolling power cuts if alternative supplies cannot be secured from Ukraine or Western Europe. Across Europe, low river levels have similarly forced nuclear output reductions in France and triggered emergency engineering interventions in Hungary.