LIVE: As geopolitical tensions rise, divisions becoming deeper, says UN

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10:02 PM

Rajasthan Polls: Marble industry in Kishangarh says it's battling power crisis, high electricity rates

Power shortage and high electricity rates have become a major concern for the marble business in Kishangarh, with the businessmen feeling 'powerless' against the crisis. The Marble Association has also written many letters to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot but hasn't received any response from the CM's office.

9:33 PM

Israeli air strike kills 50 at Gaza refugee camp, hospital chief tells Al Jazeera

Israel said its forces fought Hamas gunmen inside the militants' vast tunnel network beneath Gaza as a hospital director said more than 50 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a refugee camp in the besieged enclave.

9:32 PM

Putin seeking to 'take advantage' of Israel-Hamas war, says Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to use the Israel-Hamas war in a bid to reduce Western support for Ukraine."Putin is very much trying to take advantage of the Hamas attack on Israel in the hopes that it will distract us... and that it will result in the United States pulling back its resources" from Ukraine, Blinken told a Senate hearing.

9:25 PM

ISMA projects 9% fall in sugar output, says sufficient to meet local demand

Industry body ISMA on Tuesday projected a 9 per cent fall in gross sugar production at 337 lakh tonnes for the current marketing year starting this month but asserted the output will be enough to meet domestic demand. It has not estimated the diversion of sugar for ethanol production. "Gross sugar production for the 2023-24 sugar season has been estimated at around 337 lakh tonnes," Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement.

9:17 PM

Rajasthan polls: Sachin Pilot files nomination from Tonk, says Congress united

Former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot on Tuesday filed his nomination for the upcoming state polls from Tonk assembly constituency and asserted that there is no discord within the party and everyone is working together. Asked about the Congress' chief ministerial face, Pilot said the party has a tradition of not declaring one before elections and it will be decided by the high command after the party wins.

9:05 PM

Nations fear becoming collateral in competition between great powers: UN

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said as geopolitical tensions rise, global divisions are becoming deeper and more dangerous, and smaller countries fear becoming collateral damage in competition between great powers. Guterres made these remarks during his address to Nepal's parliament. The United Nations Secretary-General also spoke on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, acknowledging that despite being thousands of miles away, Nepali citizens were among the victims of Hamas' brutal attacks in Israel.

 

6:31 PM

PM Narendra Modi participates in the concluding ceremony of Meri Maati Mera Desh-Amrit Kalash Yatra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the concluding ceremony of Meri Maati Mera Desh-Amrit Kalash Yatra, in Delhi; applies a teeka on his forehead with the soil. He also watched a digital exhibition during the event. Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy was also present at the event and said, "I pay tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary...Under the leadership of PM Modi during this campaign, various records have been made..."

6:10 PM

Dharmendra Pradhan to visit UAE on November 1-3

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan to visit UAE on November 1-3.

6:01 PM

WHO warns of 'imminent public health catastrophe' in Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Gaza is on the brink of a "major public health disaster," characterized by overcrowding, widespread displacement, and severe damage to water and sanitation infrastructure. WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier has expressed concerns about the potential for civilian casualties unrelated to Israeli airstrikes.

5:57 PM

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says death toll at 8,525

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said Tuesday that at least 8,525 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Israel on October 7.The ministry said at least 3,542 children and 2,187 women were among the dead, as Israel pressed on with its air and ground campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, reported AFP.

5:52 PM

Delhi AQI at 336, in ‘very poor’ category for fourth day in a row

Overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stands at 336, in the 'Very Poor' category while the AQI at Lodhi Road was recorded at 317 in the 'Very Poor' category as per SAFAR-India.

5:49 PM

Israel says used 'Arrow' aerial defense system for first time to intercept missile

Israel's military said on Tuesday it used the "Arrow" aerial defense system for the first time since the Oct. 7 outbreak of the war with Hamas to intercept a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea fired towards its territory, reported Reuters.

5:45 PM

PM Modi to interact with Asian Para Games contingent

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with India's Asian Para Games contingent on Wednesday at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here. The PMO said the programme, during which Modi will also address the athletes, is an attempt on his part to congratulate them for their outstanding achievement at the Asian Para Games and to motivate them for future competitions. India won a total of 111 medals including 29 gold in the Asian para Games 2022. The medals tally at the Asian Para Games 2022 witnessed a 54 per cent increase over the previous best performance (in 2018); and the 29 gold medals won are almost twice as won in 2018.

4:40 PM

Northeast monsoon rainfall over core region of south India in October was sixth lowest since 1901: IMD

Data from 1980 to 2022 shows commencement of northeast monsoon rainfall over Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas getting delayed, according to IMD.

3:01 PM

FSSAI steps up surveillance on sweets to check adulteration during Diwali

To check on the adulteration of sweets during the Diwali festival, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed its 4,000-odd state-level officers to intensify the surveillance of sweet retailers and manufacturers across the country.

The most commonly adulterated item in India is milk and most sweets are made with dairy.

"Usually, consumption of sweets goes up during Diwali festival. We have directed our officers in the states and Union territories to intensify the surveillance of sweets to check on adulteration," FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao told media on the sidelines of the Eat Right Summit.

2:38 PM

Israeli forces battle Hamas around Gaza City, as military says 800,000 have fled south

Israeli ground forces attacked Hamas militants and infrastructure on Tuesday in northern Gaza, which the military said some 800,000 people have fled since the war began more than three weeks ago, even as warplanes continued to strike from end to end of the sealed-off territory.

Buoyed by the first successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a cease-fire and again vowed to crush the militant group's ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel following its bloody October 7 rampage, which ignited the war.

The military said one of the estimated 240 captives seized by Palestinian militants during the wide-ranging assault was rescued in a special forces operation, lending support to Netanyahu's contention that the ground war will help facilitate the recovery of more hostages rather than putting them in increased danger.

2:23 PM

Resolve Maratha quota issue by holding special session of Parliament: Uddhav tells Centre

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday demanded the Centre to resolve the issue of Maratha reservation by calling a special session of Parliament. Addressing a press conference here, he said all Union ministers from Maharashtra should raise the reservation issue in the cabinet meeting.

He also urged the Union ministers to resign if the (Maratha reservation) demand is not met. "This issue should be addressed by the Centre. This can only be resolved in the Lok Sabha. I have been saying this and I say this again that the government should call a special session of Parliament (to resolve the issue)," Thackeray said. "Even if a special session of the state legislature is required it should be convened," he added.

2:22 PM

Kejriwal finishing off AAP by his sins: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari

Hours after the AAP accused the BJP of trying to finish it off by misusing central probe agencies, the BJP on Tuesday hit back, claiming that it was Arvind Kejriwal who was finishing off his own party by his "sins".

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on November 2 for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Following the summons, the AAP claimed there were apprehensions that the ED would arrest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and that the BJP was trying to finish it off by putting its top leaders behind bars.

2:08 PM

Canada bans messaging platforms WeChat, Kaspersky on government devices

Canada on Monday banned Chinese messaging application WeChat and Russian antivirus program Kaspersky on government-issued mobile devices due to privacy and security risks, but said government information had not been compromised.
 

The ban was announced after an assessment by Canada's chief information officer that Tencent-owned WeChat and applications made by Moscow-based Kaspersky "present an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," the Treasury Board of Canada, which oversees public administration, said in a statement.

1:52 PM

Here's what Apple has to say on recent allegations of state sponsored attack message by Oppn

Apple says can't provide information on what prompts threat alerts as it may help state-sponsored attackers to evade detection

 

Can't attribute threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker: Apple on Opposition MP's claims of receiving hacking warnings

 

Attackers well-funded, sophisticated; detecting attacks often imperfect and incomplete: Apple on Opposition MP's allegations

1:44 PM

Govt indulging in distraction politics on Adani issue: Rahul on Apple alert

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that people in his office, several party and other opposition leaders have been sent a warning by Apple of state-sponsored attackers targeting their phone, and alleged that as soon as the Adani issue is touched, probe agencies and snooping are deployed.

He also alleged that the government was indulging in "distraction politics" on the Adani issue.

1:27 PM

Chief executives of Air India, Akasa joust over poaching of pilots

The chief executives of Air India and Akasa Air have privately exchanged barbs over the poaching of pilots, with the latter accusing its bigger rival of rule violations, provoking a reply that collusion to curb job switching can breach competition law.

The exchange, detailed in a Sept. 21 letter seen by Reuters, spotlights growing competition in India's aviation market, as a strong rebound in air travel after the pandemic, coupled with a flurry of orders for new aircraft, lead to a shortage of pilots.

1:24 PM

Siddaramaiah requests Vaishnaw to extend Vande Bharat Express till Belagavi

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to extend the Vande Bharat Express running on the Bengaluru-Hubballi-Dharwad route upto Belagavi city, in order to boost the connectivity between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

In a letter to Vaishnaw, Siddaramaiah said the second Vande Bharat Express in Karnataka "brought a paradigm shift in the connectivity of the region, between Dharwad, Hubballi, and Davangere with Bengaluru".

 

12:57 PM

MCD: House adjourned as Cong, BJP members protest over dengue data, listed agenda

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi's House was adjourned for the day on Tuesday amid protests by Congress and BJP councillors on the issue of dengue data and listed agenda.

As the House met around 11:20 am, Congress members, some of them holding placards and posters, raised slogans in the House, alleging lack of transparency in issuing data related to dengue cases reported in the national capital and, also on the issue of pollution.

12:36 PM

BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Aam Aadmi Party over summons issued to Kejriwal

On ED summon to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "AAP alleges that the central government is trying to finish them. But AAP is ending themselves on their own... You will commit mistakes and do corruption, and if an investigation is being done, then you have a problem...Till today, Arvind Kejriwal has not said a single word of clarification on this scam..."

 

12:19 PM

Here's what AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj has to say on alleged hacking of Apple devices

12:06 PM

Got alert from Apple about state-sponsored attacks on their phones: Oppn

At least four opposition leaders on Tuesday claimed to have received messages from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and posted the purported screenshots on their X handles.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress' Lok Sabha Member Shashi Tharoor and his party's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera shared the screenshots on X.

PTI reached out to Apple for comments on the matter but there was no immediate response.

11:52 AM

Mindspace REIT's Q2 net operating income jumps 18% at Rs 491 crore

Mindspace Business Parks REIT has posted an 18 per cent increase in its net operating income (NOI) to Rs 491 crore for the second quarter of this fiscal.

Its NOI stood at Rs 417 crore in the year-ago period.

The revenue from operation rose 21 per cent to Rs 600 crore in the July-September period from Rs 497 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.

11:26 AM

We have to make India a developed country in next 25 years: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the next 25 years of this century is the most important period for India and "we have to make it a prosperous and developed country" and achieve the goal while drawing inspiration from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Patel at the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat's Narmada district on the occasion of the birth anniversary of India's first home minister and addressed a gathering here.

11:20 AM

Pakistan: Amid slump in economy, petroleum division notifies huge hike in gas prices

A significant increase in petrol prices has been announced by the federal government, which will go into effect from November 1, ARY News reported.

Regarding the significant increase in petrol prices for domestic, export and non-export units, CNG, cement and other industries, the Petroleum Division released a notification.