Business
Charlie Kirk death: Report those who celebrate the shooting to employers, Vance says
People who celebrate the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk should be held accountable, US Vice-President JD Vance has said.
“Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” Vance said as he guest-hosted an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show. “We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”
Pilots, medical professionals, teachers and one Secret Service employee are among those who have been suspended or sacked for social media posts that were deemed inappropriate about Kirk’s death.
Critics have argued the firings threaten free speech and employee protections, although US companies have wide latitude to terminate employees.
Vance’s comments aired on Monday in an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, a daily podcast that Kirk hosted before he was shot in the neck last Wednesday while hosting a debate at Utah Valley University.
He was joined by the White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who vowed to dismantle the left-wing “terrorist networks” he said were responsible for the killing. Police have said the 22-year-old suspect in custody acted alone.
In the episode, the vice-president said that left-wing Americans “are much likelier to defend and celebrate political violence”, and added that “there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination”.
A recent YouGov poll found liberal Americans were more likely than conservatives to defend feeling joy about the deaths of political opponents.
However a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2023 – when Democrat Joe Biden was in the White House – found that a third of Republicans agreed with the statement: “Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.”
Just 13 percent of Democrats in the survey agreed.
Vance’s remarks come as other Republican US lawmakers echoed calls for those publicly celebrating Kirk’s death to be punished.
“I will demand their firing, defunding, and license revocation,” said Florida congressman Randy Fine in a post on X on Sunday, as he called for such people to “be thrown out of civil society”.
Critics have highlighted previous comments from Fine, including calling Muslim members of Congress “terrorists” and proposing a bill allowing people to run over peaceful protesters who block traffic, an initiative he dubbed the “Thump Thump Act”.
South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace urged the Department of Education to “cut off every dime to any school or university” that refuses to retaliate against employees making insensitive posts about Kirk.
Kirk, a devout Christian, professed viewpoints on gender, race and abortion that drew backlash from many liberals, especially on the campuses he toured.
In some cases, those who took to social media to gloat over his death or post comments that caused offence have been fired or placed on leave by employers.
Among them is Anthony Pough, a US Secret Service employee who wrote on Facebook that Kirk “spewed hate and racism on his show… at the end of the day, you answer to GOD, and speak things into existence”.
He has had his security clearance revoked.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran wrote in a memo to staff that politically motivated attacks are on the rise and members of the protective detail should not be exacerbating the issue.
“The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem,” Curran wrote.
Americans employed by private companies have also come under scrutiny. Office Depot fired employees at a Michigan branch after a viral video showed staff refusing to print posters for a Kirk vigil, the company confirmed to the BBC in a statement.
A spokesperson for Office Depot said the employees’ behaviour “was completely unacceptable and insensitive”, and violated the company’s policies.
Professors and journalists, too, are facing punishment for their comments, provoking a debate over so-called cancel culture.
Karen Attiah, a long-time columnist for the Washington Post, wrote in a Substack post that the newspaper had fired her after a series of posts she made on social media platform Bluesky following Kirk’s death.
In South Carolina, Clemson University said in a statement on Monday that it had fired one employee and placed two professors on leave for what it called “inappropriate” social media posts related to Kirk’s killing.
The repercussions have reached beyond the US.
In Canada, University of Toronto professor Ruth Marshall was placed on leave after appearing to write in a social media post that “shooting is honestly too good for so many of you fascists”.
US employers generally have broad discretion to fire workers for any reason, as most staff are hired under “at-will” contracts.
Steven Collis, a law professor at the University of Texas Austin, said the right to free speech under the US Constitution does not cover private employers.
Rather, it applies to government actions restricting citizens’ free speech, he said.
But Risa Lieberwitz, head of the Worker Institute at Cornell University, said public figures could be infringing on free speech rights if they call for accountability over posts about Kirk.
She said the spate of firings was not surprising, given the current heated political rhetoric in the US.
“I think it reflects the kind of fear that exists now in the United States from retaliation by the Trump administration for not adhering to their political agenda,” she said.
Some have criticised the firings, like the American Association of University Professors, who said in a statement on Monday that academic freedom should be protected and “not curtailed under political pressure”.
Business
Piyush Goyal Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s Farmer Meet Video, Rebuts ‘Fake Narrative’ On India-US Trade Deal
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The minister offered a detailed reality check to counter what he termed ‘Rahul ji’s fakery’
Goyal reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies are intrinsically linked to farmer welfare. (File Photo: PTI)
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of orchestrating a “fake narrative” aimed at provoking India’s farming community. Responding to a video released on social media by the Leader of the Opposition on Friday, Goyal dismissed the interaction as a stage-managed performance featuring Congress activists masquerading as genuine farmer leaders. He asserted that the dialogue followed a predetermined script designed to mislead the public regarding the safeguards in the recent India-US trade deal.
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that “any trade deal that takes away the livelihood of farmers or weakens the food security of the country is anti-farmer”. He was pointing to the recently concluded India-US framework agreement for bilateral trade, which is expected to be signed after tweaks by the end of March.
Piyush Goyal offered a detailed reality check to counter what he termed “Rahul ji’s fakery”, placing on record that the Narendra Modi government has fully protected the interests of annadatas, fishermen, MSMEs, and artisans. The minister categorically clarified that sensitive crops like soyameal and maize have been granted no concessions whatsoever in the agreement, ensuring that domestic farmers remain shielded from competitive pressure. He criticised the opposition for repeating “baseless allegations” in an attempt to instill unnecessary fear among the rural population.
Addressing specific claims regarding apple and walnut imports, the minister provided a technical breakdown of the protectionist measures in place. He noted that while India already imports approximately 550,000 tonnes of apples annually due to high domestic demand, the new US deal does not allow unlimited entry. Instead, a strict quota has been established, far below current import levels, and subject to a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs 80 per kg. With an additional duty of Rs 25, the landed cost of US apples will be roughly Rs 105 per kg—significantly higher than the current average landed cost of Rs 75 per kg from other nations—thereby ensuring Indian growers are not undercut. Similarly, for walnuts, the US has been offered a modest quota of 13,000 metric tonnes against India’s total annual import requirement of 60,000 metric tonnes, making it impossible for the deal to harm local producers.
Goyal also took a swipe at the historical record of the Congress party, pointing out the irony of its current stance. He reminded the public that during the Congress-led UPA era, India imported nearly $20 billion worth of agricultural products, including dairy items, which the current administration has strictly excluded from the US pact. He challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain his “betrayal of farmers” and questioned how much longer the opposition intended to peddle fabricated stories.
Concluding with the slogan “Kisan Surakshit Desh Viksit”, Goyal reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies are intrinsically linked to farmer welfare. He maintained that the India-US agreement is a balanced framework that opens new markets for Indian exports like basmati rice and spices while keeping the nation’s agricultural backbone secure.
February 14, 2026, 05:29 IST
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Business
Without Rera data, real estate reform risks losing credibility: Homebuyers’ body – The Times of India
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers’ body FPCE on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry’s format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central govts to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.“Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air,” said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt’s Central Advisory Council on Rera.As per details shared by the entity, seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single annual report since Rera’s implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice.Upadhyay said when regulators themselves don’t follow the law, they lose the legal right to demand compliance from other stakeholders. “Their failure emboldens builders and weakens the very system they are meant to safeguard,” he said.
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Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Infosys logo is seen.
IT major Infosys rolled out performance bonus payouts averaging around 85 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), marking the strongest variable pay outcome for eligible employees in at least the past three-and-a-half years, Moneycontrol reported citing people in the know.
The bonus payout for mid- to junior-level employees ranges between 75 percent and 100 percent, with most employees clustering around the organisation-wide average of 85 percent, the report said. The development signals a steady recovery in variable compensation at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm. Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Employees are expected to receive their bonus letters over the next few days, with the payout scheduled to be credited along with their February salary.
One employee told the outlet that it is the strongest bonus outcome seen in recent years. The payout is also among the rare instances since the Covid-19 period when variable pay has approached the upper end of the eligible range.
Infosys last paid out 100 percent variable compensation during the pandemic. In the quarters that followed, payouts were lower amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader slowdown in client spending across global markets.
The higher payout comes at a time when global IT stocks have faced renewed pressure, driven by concerns over rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their potential impact on traditional IT services models.
Shares of global IT firms have seen sharp sell-offs in recent weeks amid heightened investor focus on AI leaders such as Anthropic. Investors fear that generative AI tools could compress pricing, automate routine services work and reduce demand for legacy outsourcing models.
Against that backdrop, the improved bonus payout at Infosys is being viewed as a signal of operational resilience and near-term performance strength, even as sentiment around the broader IT sector remains cautious.
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February 13, 2026, 21:44 IST
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