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Zohran Mamdani scripts history; wins historic New York Mayoral election
Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old Indian-origin democratic socialist, pulled off a stunning victory in the fiercely contested New York city mayoral elections, riding on an electrifying campaign to become the first South Asian, Muslim and youngest in a century to helm the administration of the world's financial capital. Mamdani, the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Indian-origin scholar Mahmood Mamdani, defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a scandal-hit Democrat who ran as an independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, in the keenly-watched contest that grabbed global attention.
His historic victory to run the city of more than 8.4 million people is seen as a come back of progressive politics, with Mamdani vowing to prioritise working-class issues as he proposed initiatives like free childcare, rent-freeze, free bus services, and government-run grocery stores to make New York affordable to live.
In a fiery speech, Mamdani described his victory as the dawn of a "new age" for New York and said "together, we will usher in a generation of change". "New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford," the Uganda-born state lawmaker told his supporters at Brooklyn Paramount Theater.
He will be inaugurated as the 111th mayor of New York in January. Currently a member of the Queens state assembly, Mamdani emerged victorious, securing over 50 per cent of the votes. Cuomo, 67, who was endorsed by Trump trailed behind with just over 40 per cent votes while Sliwa garnered a mere seven per cent of the votes.
Cuomo ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June.
In his address, Mamdani invoked Jawaharlal Nehru as he quoted the first prime minister of India from his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech of 1947 to reflect his own agenda of revitalisation, equality and tackling corruption.
"We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible, and we won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something that is done to us. Now, it is something that we do," he said.
"Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru -- a moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new," he said amid loud cheers.
Besides winning the New York mayoral elections, the Democrats won gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, in outcomes largely seen as declining public support for Trump's second term in presidency.
In his victory speech, Mamdani, a state assemblyman, also trained his guns on US President Donald Trump who called him a "communist". "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him, and if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power," Mamdani said.
Mamdani was born in Uganda's Kampala and moved to New York City with his family when he was seven years old.
India, China record highest rise in emission of greenhouse gases: UN body report
India, along with China, has topped in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the world, revealed the Emissions Gap Report-2025. The report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on November 4 has also warned nations of serious escalation in climate risks and consequent damages. “The highest absolute increase in total GHG emissions, excluding land use, land-use change and forestry, was observed in India and China, while Indonesia recorded the fastest relative growth in emissions,” added the report. The emission greenhouse gases by the G20 members, excluding the African Union, account for 77 per cent of global emissions. The amount further increased by 0.7 per cent in 2024. Many countries outside the G20 bloc also showed significant increases in emissions in 2024.
Researchers find potential neurotoxin in Cycad plant used as food in Odisha
Medical scientists from various institutes have identified BMAA, a potential neurotoxin, in several species of the Cycad plant found in the forests of Odisha, according to a statement issued by AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The finding has raised alarms as a section of local people follow traditions of consuming Cycad plant products, such as 'pitha' (a local food), as part of their diet and rituals. This discovery was made as part of research by AIIMS Bhubaneswar to find out whether consuming Cycad plant-based food directly poses a risk of neurological diseases. "Whether this (Cycad plant-based food) consumption is directly linked to an increased incidence of neurological diseases remains a critical question. To get an answer to the query, the AIIMS Bhubaneswar has initiated research," a statement issued on Tuesday. Experts engaged directly with villagers, patients, and local healthcare providers to understand the potential neurological and related health problems arising from the consumption of Cycad seeds.
Australia includes Reddit, Kick in teen social media ban
Australia's internet watchdog on Wednesday widened its world-first teen social media ban to include Reddit and video live streaming platform Kick, and said more sites could be added if their main role was to enable online social interaction. Australia will become the first country to fine social media firms up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to block users aged under 16. The law will become effective from December 10. The eSafety Commissioner on Wednesday urged tech firms to continually assess whether they meet the definition of an 'age-restricted social media platform' when they introduce new features or their primary usage changes. * Discord, GitHub, LEGO Play, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, Google Classroom, Messenger, Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and YouTube Kids do not currently meet the criteria for an age-restricted social media platform, the regulator said. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and Alphabet-owned YouTube have already been included in the list. There will not be a static list of companies that are age-restricted because of the fast-changing nature of technology, eSafety said. When new tech platforms emerge or existing ones change their purposes, eSafety said it may reassess those services. "We will continue to take a whole of ecosystem approach, but we want to reinforce that just because a service is excluded, it does not mean it is absolutely safe," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement.
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