News Highlights: EAM Jaishankar, Pakistan PM shake hands ahead of 23rd SCO summit

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10:11 PM

EAM Jaishankar, Pakistan PM shake hands ahead of 23rd SCO summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared a cordial moment, shaking hands and exchanging greetings before a dinner hosted by him ahead of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

9:53 PM

New UK sanctions target extremist Israeli settler outposts in West Bank

The UK on Tuesday announced sanctions against illegal outposts and organisations in response to what it described as continued violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, devastating Palestinian communities. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for a crackdown on settler violence in West Asia as he announced sanctions targeting three settler outposts and four organisations that have "supported, incited and promoted violence" against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Settler violence is described as seeking to force Palestinians to leave their homes and seize their land for the construction of outposts, which the UK says are illegal under both international and Israeli law.

9:25 PM

Congress, BJP workers clash in Assam during bypoll campaign

A clash broke out between Congress and BJP workers in Rupahihat in Assam's Nagaon district when the opposition party took out a bike rally on Tuesday, police said. The Congress had taken out the rally to campaign for the upcoming by-election to the Samaguri assembly constituency, which was vacated by the party's Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain. Congress workers from the neighbouring districts had also participated in it.

9:05 PM

Bitcoin tops $67,000 for the first time since July

Bitcoin surpassed $67,000 for the first time since July as a rally in US stocks helped to renew optimism for riskier assets such as cryptocurrencies. 

8:38 PM

Deepfakes a nuisance, strict action will be taken, says CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday warned of strict action against those involved in spreading fake narratives about polls using Artificial Intelligence and deepfakes. Kumar said the commission tackled the issue successfully during Lok Sabha polls through continuous monitoring from control rooms.

8:01 PM

Southern Africa enduring worst hunger crisis in decades due to El Nino, says UN

Months of drought in southern Africa triggered by the El Nino weather phenomenon have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and caused the region's worst hunger crisis in decades, the United Nations' food agency said Tuesday. The World Food Programme warned it could become a full-scale human catastrophe.

7:11 PM

UK PM Starmer flags importance of rule of law in India-Canada row

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed on the importance of the rule of law during a phone call with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in the wake of the ongoing diplomatic row with India, Downing Street said on Tuesday. While the statement does not make a direct reference to India, it refers to "allegations" under investigation in Canada.

6:44 PM

Holiday declared for Bengaluru schools on Wednesday due to heavy rain forecast

Schools in Bengaluru Urban district will remain shut on Wednesday following heavy rain forecast, officials said. Due to continuous rains in Bengaluru, the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for the next two days. As a precautionary measure in the interest of students, all taluk Anganwadi centres, private/aided primary and high schools of Bengaluru City will be closed on Wednesday," a government order stated.

6:33 PM

Indigo flight from Saudi Arabia makes emergency landing in Jaipur

An Indigo flight from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday made an emergency landing here following a bomb threat, an airport official said. The flight took off from Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia and was scheduled to land at Lucknow airport. It was diverted to Jaipur for emergency landing, the official said. The plane is at its isolation bay. Further details are awaited, the official added.

5:47 PM

Wave of support for Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday claimed a "wave" supporting Maha Vikas Aghadi is sweeping through Maharashtra, asserting that the opposition bloc will go to the polls with an agenda to "save" the state from NDA. The Assembly polls in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23, the Election Commission of India announced on Tuesday.

5:20 PM

Southwest monsoon withdraws from India

The southwest monsoon has completely withdrawn from the country and the northeast monsoon has begun over southeast peninsular India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. This year, the southwest monsoon reached Kerala on May 30 and covered the entire country by July 2. It began its retreat from northwest India on September 23.

4:55 PM

Karnataka BJP leaders to meet President Murmu, seek dismissal of Siddaramaiah govt

Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday said his party leaders would soon meet President Droupadi Murmu and request her to dismiss the "corrupt and anti-Hindu" Siddaramaiah-led government in the State. He also said his party would stage a 'massive protest' in Hubballi on October 25 against the Congress government's decision to withdraw cases against the rioters who vandalised police vehicles and injured many policemen in the north Karnataka town two years ago. "We will meet the President in the coming days and request her to dismiss this anti-Hindu and corrupt government and the Chief Minister," Vijayendra said.

4:47 PM

Education minister announces 3 AI Centres of Excellence focused on healthcare, agri and sustainable cities

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday announced three Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (CoEs) focused on healthcare, agriculture and sustainable cities. The CoEs will be led by top educational institutions, in consortium with industry partners and startups. "The three CoEs in AI-‘healthcare, agriculture and sustainable cities', will democratise AI innovations and research to revolutionise healthcare delivery, strengthen food security and address critical urban challenges. These CoEs led by our top academic institutions will strengthen India's AI capabilities and power the growth of India's AI ecosystem," Pradhan said.

4:30 PM

Can't blame EVMs when results are not desired, says CEC Rajiv Kumar

"EVMs can't be hacked like pagers used for blasts. We are asked if EVMs can be hacked like pagers that were used in some regions. The difference is EVMS are not connected like pagers...As far as the EVMs are concerned, they are 100% foolproof," he said.

4:10 PM

Elections news update: Jharkhand to vote in 2 phases on Nov 13, 20 and results on Nov 23, says ECI

3:55 PM

Election news update: Maharashtra to vote on Nov 20, results on Nov 23, says ECI

3:50 PM

News update: Over 26 million voters in Jharkhand, says CEC

3:47 PM

News update: Over 100,000 polling stations for Maharashtra Assembly polls, says ECI

3:43 PM

News update: No repolls or violence in J-K, Haryana, says CEC

3:41 PM

News update: People's participation in electoral process led to historic moment in J-K, says CEC

3:39 PM

News update: Indian democracy setting gold standards for the world, says ECI

3:31 PM

News update: Air India Express flight makes emergency landing in UP's Ayodhya airport following bomb threat

3:18 PM

Poll panel briefing on Maharashtra, Jharkhand polls to begin afternoon

The Maharashtra poll schedule was initially expected to coincide with those in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. However, the Election Commission decided to separate the schedules. 

3:01 PM

One more person arrested in Baba Siddique murder case

The Mumbai police have taken into one more person in connection with the killing of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, officials said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Harishkumar Balakram (23), hailing from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, an official said. Balakram was working as a scrap dealer in Maharashtra's Pune, he said, adding the accused was also part of the conspiracy to kill Siddique.

2:37 PM

More than 300 smog guns to be deployed at pollution hotspots: CM Atishi

Delhi Traffic Police to identify congestion-prone locations, deploy extra personnel to clear jams, Delhi CM Atishi stated today. 

2:33 PM

Delhi air quality: 99 teams formed to enforce dust control measures at construction sites, says CM Atishi

MCD will form 79 teams for removal of construction and demolition waste during daytime, 75 teams for night-time, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said.

2:15 PM

Aiims doctors seek prez's intervention as WB colleagues continue strike

Requesting immediate intervention in the ongoing hunger strike by doctors in West Bengal, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of AIIMS, New Delhi, on Monday wrote an 'urgent' letter to the President of India. The letter highlighted the deteriorating health of five doctors, who have been admitted to the ICU in critical condition after days of protest. The hunger strike was sparked by the brutal rape and murder of a fellow resident doctor, on August 9 at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

1:57 PM

As Delhi air quality turns 'red', here's what is prohibited under Grap-I

Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) as of 4 pm on Monday stood at 234, squarely in the ‘poor’ category. The government’s pollution control body has enforced Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) to control air pollution. Read here for more details.

1:43 PM

India signs big-ticket Predator drone deal with US

Today, India inked a mega deal with the US to procure 31 Predator long-endurance drones from American defence major General Atomics under the foreign military sales route at a cost of nearly $4 billion to boost Indian military's combat abilities along the contested borders with China. The deal, signed in presence of top defence and strategic brass of India in the national capital, marks a significant upswing in military ties between the two countries.

1:39 PM

Existence of 40% disability does not bar student from pursuing MBBS: SC

The top court on Tuesday observed that mere existence of a benchmark disability of 40 percent does not bar a person from pursuing medical education unless there is an expert report that the candidate was incapacitated from pursuing MBBS. The bench gave detailed reasons for its September 18 order where it allowed a candidate to take admission in MBBS course after the medical board opined that he can pursue medical education without any impediment.