FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Monday, 02 March 2026 | SPORTS BUSINESS NORTH-EAST Page 10 EDITORIAL PAGE The Iran-US War has repriced globalisation, impacting markets Testing, time-bound times for Manipur’s new Chief Minister T20 WC: Brevis hits 42 as South Africa continue unbeaten run with five-wicket win over Zimbabwe Page 11 Page 12 Silencing Civics Page 6 Iran confirms Ali Khamenei killed in US strike, vows revenge UNITED NEWS OF INDIA Tehran/New Delhi, 1 March I ran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a coordinated US-Israeli military strike on Tehran early Sunday, Iranian State media confirmed. Iranian State media said Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes that targeted areas in northern Tehran, including locations near his compound and offices. Multiple missiles hit areas close to the presidential palace in Shemiran and near the Supreme Leader’s residence. While an Iranian Presidential spokesman had said on Saturday after the attacks that Khameini was safe and had already been moved out of Tehran, Iranian State media confirmed the death on Sunday. Earlier, US President Donald Trump, while announcing Khamenei’s death on his social media platform, said: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans…” Mr Trump also said ‘’other leaders’’ had been killed along with him (Khamenei). He, however, did not name those leaders. Mr Trump said the US has been hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces no longer wanted to fight, and were looking for Immunity from the US. He offered immunity to the Iranian soldiers, saying, “Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!” In retaliation, Iran launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes on Sunday targeting US military bases in the region and Israel, state media said. Twenty-seven US bases in the region, as well as Israel's military headquarters and a Defence industries complex in Tel Aviv, were among the targets, Iranian state TV said. Israeli authorities said eight people were killed and 28 wounded in a strike that hit a synagogue in the central town of Beit Shemesh, bringing the overall death toll in the country to 10. The U.S. military said three service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded since the operations began. The IRGC announced that in the fifth wave of Operation True Promise4 in the Indian Ocean, a ship which was carrying ammunition for American vessels, was hit by four drones at the Jebel Ali anchorage and was completely disabled. It said four ballistic missiles and 12 drones hit the US naval base in the Abdullah Mubarak area of Kuwait, causing severe damage and casualties. An MST-class combat support ship, which was carrying fuel for US vessels in the Indian Ocean, was hit by Iranian Qadr 380 missiles. The IRGC said an American FP-132 radar, with a range of 5,000 kilometres stationed in Qatar, has been destroyed. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei, warning that those responsible would “regret it.” “This great crime will never remain unanswered,” his office said. • More reports on Page 9 Ayatollah Arafi named Iran’s interim Supreme Leader: 9 dead in violent clashes near US Consulate in Karachi Tehran: Hours after long-time Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike, Iran on Sunday named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as his interim successor. Ayatollah Khamenei, whose death in an attack on his residential compound in Tehran was announced by Iran, had been the Supreme Leader since 1989 after the passing away of the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution’s leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989. After announcing his death, the government said that a three-member council comprising President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a jurist from the Guardian Council would oversee Iran’s leadership during the transitional period, as per the IRNA news agency. Under Iran’s constitution, the council assumes leadership duties until a successor is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body that holds ultimate authority over the country’s political system, armed forces, and key institutions. According to RT, Shia cleric and Islamic jurist Ayatollah Arafi was born in 1959 in Meybod in central Iran. Head of Iran’s Centre for the Management of Islamic Seminaries, and Director of the revered Qom Seminary since 2016, he is also a member of the powerful Guardian Council, a constitutional body that vets legislation and oversees elections. He has served as President of Al-Mustafa International University from 2008 to 2018 and is a permanent member of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution since 2011. His appointment comes at a time of heightened regional tensions, with Iran vowing a firm response to the strike that killed its long-serving Supreme Leader. DAWN/ANN T20 WC: Holder-Powell blitz propels West Indies to 195/4 against India AGENCIES POWELL SLAMMED 34 OFF JUST 19 BALLS, INCLUDING THREE FOURS AND TWO SIXES, WHILE HOLDER SMASHED 37 OFF 22 BALLS, LACED WITH TWO FOURS AND THREE SIXES. A TARGET OF 196 STANDS BETWEEN INDIA AND THE SEMI-FINAL SPOT. IN A VIRTUAL KNOCK-OUT MATCH IN KOLKATA ON SUNDAY, WITH THE WINNER SET TO SEAL THE LAST REMAINING SEMI-FINAL SPOT, INDIAN CAPTAIN SURYAKUMAR YADAV WON THE TOSS AND ELECTED TO FIELD FIRST. Kolkata, 1 March A majestic 76-run partnership between Jason Holder (photo) and Rovman Powell for the fifth wicket propelled West Indies to 195/4 against India in their last Super 8 fixture at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Powell slammed 34 off just 19 balls, including three fours and two sixes, while Holder smashed 37 off 22 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes. A target of 196 stands between India and the semi-final spot. In a virtual knock-out match in Kolkata on Sunday, with the winner set to seal the last remaining semi-final spot, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first. West Indies' new opening duo, Shai Hope and Roston Chase, got off to a solid start. Chase, making his T20I debut as an opener, showed promise with some elegant shots, including two boundaries off Arshdeep Singh and a scooped four against Jasprit Bumrah. The pressure of the occasion seemed to get to Abhishek Sharma, who dropped a simple catch at cover with Chase on 15. It wasn't the briskest of starts for West Indies, who finished the powerplay at 45/0. Varun Chakaravarthy broke the opening partnership, dismissing Shai Hope for 32 in the ninth over. Jasprit Bumrah turned the game with a double strike, getting set batters Shimron Hetmyer (27) and Roston Chase (40) out, shifting momentum India's way. Hetmyer was starting to flex his muscles, and had hit two sixes and a four, but ended up nicking a ball angling BJP’s Nitin Nabin kicks off ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in Bengal, targets TMC govt over infiltration STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Siliguri, 1 March Launching the party’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ from Cooch Behar ahead of the Assembly elections, Nitin Nabin, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her government of “appeasement politics”, administrative failure and shielding corruption. Addressing a public gathering, Mr Nabin alleged that the state government had moved the Supreme Court of India in defence of “infiltrators” after the deletion of around 50 lakh names from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. Claiming that illegal infiltration remains a major concern, he said only a BJP government in the state would be able to “identify and drive out infiltrators” and restore the rights of genuine citizens. Taking aim at the law and order situation, Mr Nabin referred to incidents of crime against women, corruption and alleged police excesses, questioning the state government’s response. “If you claim to stand for ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’, why were stronger steps not taken to ensure justice for victims?” he asked, while criticising what he described as the government’s failure to ensure safety and security. The BJP leader also raised allegations of widespread corruption within the ruling establishment, claiming that several senior leaders of the Trinamul Congress, including ministers, had faced legal action. Referring indirectly to Abhishek Banerjee, he alleged the prevalence of “syndicate raj, political patronage and intimidation”, adding that such practices had become “common features” of governance in the state. Mr Nabin further claimed that the people of West Bengal were seeking change and relief from what he termed “misrule”, asserting that a groundswell of support was building in favour of the BJP. away from him to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later, Bumrah had Chase lob the ball to cover. Hardik Pandya chipped in with ace seamer Bumrah, scalping Sherfane Rutherford's wicket for 14. After the West Indies slipped from 102/2 to 119/4, Jason Holder and Rovman Powell took the attack to India. Powell also became the first West Indian to hit 150 sixes in T20Is with another big hit to the fence. However, India's ace seamers Bumrah and Arshdeep pulled things off well in the final two overs by conceding only 20 runs. Brief score: West Indies 195/4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*; Jasprit Bumrah 2/36). Karachi, 1 March Nine people died in Karachi on Sunday, a hospital official said, after protesters clashed with law enforcement personnel near the US Consulate in the city, as protests erupted countrywide against the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The protests follow the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Saturday’s coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. The situation promoted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to issue an appeal, urging people to remain peaceful. Senior police official Irfan Baloch said protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the US Consulate but were later dispersed. He dismissed as baseless reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control. Dr Mohammad Sabir Memon, the executive director of Civil Hospital Karachi’s (CHK) SMBB Institute of Trauma, told Dawn that 9 had died and 34 were injured in the wake of protests near the consulate. According to a list of casualties brought to CHK, the wounds to 34 injured and all the deceased resulted from “gunshots”. Emotional scenes were witnessed outside the CHK’s mortuary, where bodies were brought for legal formalities. In view of the arising security situation, roads near the US Consulate were closed off to traffic. Bengal CM Mamata demands Amit Shah’s resignation over ‘manipulated’ voter lists STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 1 March Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging manipulation in the publication of the voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She announced that all party workers, except those engaged in SIR-related duties, would organise protest rallies across every block in the state. Criticising the Election Commission of India (ECI), Miss Banerjee said: “You have taken so much time to conduct the SIR, and now the list has been published in just two days. The ECI has used Artificial Intelligence to delete names. This is wrong and will not be tolerated.” The first list, published yesterday, reportedly showed names of voters deleted without explanation. Miss Banerjee declared that Trinamul Congress would launch a statewide movement from tomorrow. Miss Banerjee, who is also a lawyer, had personally appeared before the Supreme Court, where she alleged that the ECI was manipulating the voter list. She reiterated her claim that the Commission was working “hand in glove” with the BJP to defeat Trinamul Congress in the forthcoming election. Party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee clarified that Trinamul was not opposed to the SIR itself, but to the haste with which it was conducted, alleging deliberate bias to benefit the BJP. The party has resolved to approach the Supreme Court again against what it terms the arbitrary publication of the list. Miss Banerjee states that her movement seeks to uphold the rights of the people and pledged to pursue it to the highest extent possible. PM Narendra Modi launches projects worth Rs 4,400 crore in Madurai, unveils vision for a developed Tamil Nadu STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Madurai, 1 March Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 4,400 crore in Tamil Nadu’s temple city of Madurai, describing the occasion as a “proud chapter” in the state’s growth journey and outlining an ambitious roadmap for infrastructure, connectivity and cultural preservation. Beginning his visit on a spiritual note, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the historic Meenakshi Amman Temple, paying obeisance to Goddess Meenakshi Amman and Lord Sundareswarar, before addressing a large public gathering. He said the multi-sectoral projects spanning highways, railways and broadcasting would improve the quality of life, empower farmers, boost tourism and generate employment across the region. Highlighting the expansion of Tamil Nadu’s road network, Mr Modi said that more than 4,000 kilometres of highways have been built in the state since 2014. Among the major projects announced are the Rs 2,100 crore four-laning of the MarakkanamPuducherry stretch aimed at boosting coastal trade, and the Rs 1,800 crore Paramakudi–Ramanathap uram project expected to ease travel for pilgrims visiting Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. The Prime Minister also underscored significant gains in the railway sector, noting that budget allocation for Tamil Nadu has risen nearly ninefold over the past decade to Rs 7,600 crore for 2026–27. He said this enhanced funding has enabled 97 per cent electrification of railway tracks in the state and modernisation of 77 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. During the event, he dedicated the Chennai Beach–Chennai Egmore fourth railway line to the public and pointed to the success of the Make in India initiative, stating that 18 Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains are now operating in Tamil Nadu, with coaches manufactured at Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory. Looking ahead, Mr Modi outlined proposals in the 2026 Union Budget, including plans for high-speed bullet train corridors linking Chennai with Bengaluru and Hyderabad.