PM Modi, Spain PM Sanchez inaugurate India’s first private military aircraft plant in Vadodara
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus facility to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in India. The Tata-Airbus facility is the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. On the occasion, PM Modi said the facility will not only strengthen India-Spain relationship, but also “boost our mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Meanwhile, Mr. Modi said the visit of his Spanish counterpart to India has infused a new energy and enthusiasm in relations between the two countries. Mr. Sanchez said the two countries complement each other, and Spain looks forward to advancing the great cooperation.
Maharashtra Assembly polls: BJP releases third list of 25 candidates
The BJP on Monday announced its third list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections, scheduled for November 20. The party also announced candidate for the Nanded Lok Sabha bypolls. This latest list of 25 candidates, includes Sumit Wankhede, who has served as senior leader Devendra Fadnavis’s personal assistant for several years, from the Arvi assembly constituency. Interestingly, in 2019, the saffron party had given a ticket to Mr. Fadnavis’s former PA, Abhimanyu Pawar, from the Ausa constituency, which Pawar went on to win.
Maharashtra Assembly Polls: Thane will be with Mahayuti, says Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, in reference to CM Eknath Shinde filing his nomination papers, said, Mr. Shinde would win the elections with record votes. Thane would be with Mahayuti, he added, “Thane always had saffron colour, and it will be the same. CM Eknath Shinde is going to file his nomination. He will win the election with record votes, he will break his own record. Thane will be with Mahayuti”, he said.
Jharkhand Assembly polls: BJP releases second list, Gamaliyal Hembrom will contest against Hemant Soren in Barhait
The BJP has finally found the candidate for Barhait Assembly constituency against Chief Minister Hemant Soren. BJP on Monday released its second list having the names of Gamaliyal Hembrom from Barhait and Vikas Mahato from Tundi. On October 19, the BJP had released its first list having 66 names. In the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seat sharing BJP has a got 68 seats in its kitty, whereas All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) has been given 10, followed by Janata Dal -(United) 2 seat and Union Minister Chirag Paswan led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has given 1 seat under the seat sharing arrangement.
One militant killed during gunfight following attack on Army vehicle in Akhnoor, near Jammu
One militant was killed on Monday as special forces were mobilised to neutralise a group of recently infiltrated ultras who attacked an Army convoy in a village in the Akhnoor sector near here, officials said. “The body of one terrorist along with weapon has been recovered. Operations are under progress,” the Army’s Jammu-based White knight Corps said in an update on the ongoing operation.
Census likely from early 2025, future cycles to be changed; no decision on caste yet: Sources
The much-delayed decadal census exercise and the work to update the National Population Register (NPR) are likely to begin early 2025 and the data will be declared by 2026, thus changing future census cycles completely, official sources said. However, no decision has been taken yet on whether caste census will also be carried out along with the general census. The country’s population count has been conducted every 10 years since 1951, but the census work in 2021 could not be carried out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, no formal announcement has been made on its next schedule.
Opposition members walk out of Waqf panel meet
Several opposition members walked out of the meeting of the Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill on Monday, protesting against the presentation made by the Delhi Waqf board. Opposition members claimed that the Delhi Waqf Board administrator, who had appeared before the Committee, made changes to the presentation without the knowledge of the Delhi government.
Wayanad bypoll: Priyanka Gandhi attacks BJP-led Centre during campaign
Congress candidate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday commenced her byelection campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat by launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging that the values of the Constitution are constantly being subverted under its rule. Speaking at a corner meeting organised at Meenangadi in Wayanad, the AICC general secretary referred to the violence in Manipur and alleged that “planned” attacks are taking place against minorities in the country.
Punjab sees 50% dip in post-harvest farm fires, yet no effect on Delhi’s air quality
Farm fires in Punjab, often blamed for the rise in Delhi’s air pollution, have gone down by 50% since last year in the post-harvest period, with little effect on the air quality in the national capital. From September 15 to October 27, Punjab has seen 1,995 farm fire cases as compared to 4,059 in the corresponding period last year, as per data from the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre. The farm fire incidents in the period have gone down by 75% since 2022. The State recorded 8,147 farm fires in 2022 in this period.
Order in favour of lottery baron Santiago Martin set aside; Madras HC allows ED to revive case
The Madras High Court on Monday set aside an Alandur Judicial Magistrate’s November 17, 2022, order accepting the closure report filed by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on November 14, 2022 in a criminal case registered against lottery baron Santiago Martin, his wife M. Leema Rose and three others pursuant to the seizure of ₹7.20 crore from the residence of one of them. A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against the acceptance of the closure report by the Magistrate and permitted the ED as well as the CCB to continue the prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002 and the provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) respectively.
Hand grenade found in front of college near Raj Bhavan in Manipur’s Imphal
“A hand grenade was found at the gates of GP Women’s College, located less than 100 metres from the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, on Monday morning,” police said. The incident triggered panic among passersby. “Police, after being informed about the grenade, cordoned off the area and were working to remove it,” an officer said. The college is located less than 100 metres from Raj Bhavan and 300 metres from the Chief Minister’s official residence, and Manipur Police headquarters.
Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid back in Tihar Jail
Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Monday surrendered before authorities in Tihar Jail here after the end of his interim bail, prison officials said. The Awami Ittehad Party leader, who has been arrested in a terror funding case, reached jail premises at noon after a Delhi court, which was scheduled to pass the order on his bail plea, adjourned the matter. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh had on September 10 granted interim bail to Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, to enable him to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections while deferring the order on his regular bail plea.
Greenhouse gas emissions surge to new record in 2023: World Meteorological Organization report
Greenhouse gas levels surged to a new record in 2023, rising by more than 10% in just two decades, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). In the course of 2023, large vegetation fire CO2 emissions and a possible reduction in carbon absorption by forests combined with stubbornly high fossil fuel CO2 emissions from human and industrial activities to drive the increase, according to the WMO’s annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
Current climate pledges still fall way short on Paris goals: U.N. body
National pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions still fall far short of what is needed to limit catastrophic global warming, the United Nations said on Monday as countries prepare for the next round of climate change negotiations in November. The “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs) already submitted by countries to the U.N. are enough to cut global emissions by 2.6% from 2019 to 2030, up from 2% last year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said in its annual assessment.
Polio in Pakistan: Another vaccination campaign begins after worrying surge
Pakistan began a nationwide vaccination campaign on Monday to protect 45 million children from polio after a surge in new cases that has hampered years of efforts to stop the disease in one of the two countries where it has never been eradicated. Pakistan regularly launches such campaigns, but violence targeting the health workers and police assigned to escort them is common. Militants falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children.
NATO confirms that North Korea has sent troops to join Russia’s war in Ukraine
NATO on Monday confirmed that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia to aid in its almost three-year war against Ukraine and that some have already been deployed in Russia’s Kursk border region, where Russia has been struggling to push back a Ukrainian incursion. “Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters.
Donald Trump’s grand MSG rally attacks Harris, draws criticism for crude insults
U.S. Republican Donald Trump led a headline-grabbing New York rally on Sunday with nonstop attacks on Kamala Harris, but Democrats sought to capitalise on crude insults from some of his allies’ opening speeches. Mr. Trump took to the stage at the iconic 20,000-seat Madison Square Garden arena to deliver a closing message in the exceedingly tight race for the White House that reaches its apogee on November 5.
One dead, dozens hurt in Israel truck ramming
A driver rammed his truck into a crowd of people at a bus stop in central Israel on Sunday, killing a man and injuring more than two dozen people, medics and police said. Police did not immediately say whether the incident, near the Mossad spy agency’s headquarters and other Israeli intelligence sites, was an attack or an accident.
Japan’s ruling coalition loses majority in lower house, creating political uncertainty
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s ruling coalition lost a majority in the 465-seat lower house in a key parliamentary election on Sunday, a punishment by voters’ outrage over the governing party’s extensive financial scandals. Mr. Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party remains the top party in Japan’s parliament, and a change of government is not expected. But the results create political uncertainty. Falling short of a majority makes it difficult for Ishiba to get his party’s policies through parliament, and he may need to find a third coalition partner. The LDP’s coalition retains a majority in the less powerful upper house. A record number of women have been elected to Japan’s house of representatives, projections showed on Monday (October 28, 2024), but at less than 16% they remain a minority. Public broadcaster NHK projected that women had won 73 of 465 lower house seats up for grabs, figures expected to be confirmed in official results later in the day. In Japan’s 2021 general election, some 45 women were elected to the lower house.
Iran supreme leader Khamenei’s X account suspended
The social platform X has suspended a new account on behalf of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that posted messages in Hebrew. The account was suspended early Monday (October 28, 2024) with a brief note appended to it saying: “X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules”. It wasn’t immediately clear what the violation was. The Elon Musk-owned social media company did not respond to a request for comment from AP.
Gary Kirsten quits as Pakistan white-ball coach 6 months after joining
Gary Kirsten has resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball coach barely six months after taking up the job, the country’s cricket board said on Monday. Test coach Jason Gillespie will fill in for Kirsten in their limited-overs tour of Australia beginning next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on X. “...Jason Gillespie will coach the Pakistan men’s cricket team on next month’s white-ball tour of Australia after Gary Kirsten submitted his resignation, which was accepted,” the PCB said.
Salima Tete named India captain for women’s Asian Champions Trophy
Salima Tete was named captain of the 18-member Indian women’s hockey team announced on Monday for the Asian Champions Trophy scheduled to be held from November 11 to 20 at the newly-developed Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar. Navneet Kaur will serve as Tete’s deputy. India enter the competition with high expectations, having clinched the title at last year’s edition in Ranchi. The team will face stiff competition from five other nations, including reigning Olympic silver-medallists China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand, in the battle for continental supremacy.
Published - October 28, 2024 07:04 pm IST
