NC bags 3 RS seats in J&K; BJP pulls off surprise win

The ruling National Conference (NC) won three Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu & Kashmir, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won one seat after voting on Friday. The BJP registered a dramatic victory on the fourth seat by bagging 32 votes despite having 28 legisla-tors in the J&K Assembly. –

Signing up for PM SHRI was tactical move: Kerala Minister

Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty on Friday described Kerala's decision to sign up for the PM School for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme as a "tactical" move to overcome denial of education funds to the State by the Centre.

HC upholds judgment granting man divorce on grounds of 'cruelty'

The Delhi High Court has upheld a family court's decision to grant divorce to a man, observing that he and his family were repeatedly subjected to abusive and derogatory language by his wife, which amounted to mental cruelty a ground for divorce. –

Carbide guns, social media videos banned in Indore

The Indore district administration on Friday banned the dangerous carbide toy guns after their use during Deepavali led to at least 31 persons, most of them children, suffering serious eye injuries. Police also issued a separate order banning the making of 'reels' or videos featuring the guns and their sharing on social media. -

Panel to begin inquiry into Leh violence today

The judicial commission constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will start inquiring into the circumstances that resulted in violence and the death of four civilians during protests on September 24 in Ladakh's Leh district. –

Activists seek Centre's help to check leachate discharge into Aravalis

wildlife Environmentalists, activists, and locals have sought immediate intervention by the Union Environment Ministry into the recurring illegal discharge of highly toxic and untreated leachate into the Aravalis from the Bandhwari landfill site on the Gurugram-Faridabad road, causing a health hazard to residents and wildlife. –

Fresh low pressure area may turn into a cyclone for T.N.

The well-marked low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to become a cyclonic storm by Monday morning, is likely to cause heavy rain, especially in north Tamil Nadu, from Saturday.

Intense rainfall may start in the northern districts from Sunday. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), the system is likely to become a depression over the Southeast and adjoining Central Bay of Bengal by Saturday, further concentrating into a deep depression by Sunday. –

Study says fat composition is the secret of civet coffee

A recent scientific study by researchers of the Central University of Kerala has revealed that civet processed robusta coffee, popularly known Kopi Luwak, shows distinct difference in its fatty acid methyl esters and total fat content when compared to naturally harvested robusta beans, offering fresh scientific insight into the origins of its famed aroma and flavour. –

Sanctioning Russia

The Trump administration has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia as punitive measures relating to Moscow's refusal to strike a ceasefire agreement to bring the war in Ukraine to a halt, with Washington targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Russia's use of the oil trade to finance war has been a bone of contention for NATO members since the early days of Russia's incursion into and attacks on Ukraine, an indirect dimension of the conflict that has pulled Asian powers India and China into the fray. –

The mirage of port-led development in Great Nicobar

Among the backers of a seaport at Great Nicobar much in the media spotlight, following a spate of critical commentaries a favourite argument is that the facility will position India as a regional hub for maritime security and economic growth. Proponents reject suggestions that the port is a misguided venture that threatens indigenous communities and risks ecological collapse. Instead, they present it as a strategic and commercial game-changer. –

Prime Minister will lead parade on 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade near Kevadia in Gujarat on October 31 to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country. –

Assam to table report on 1983 massacre in Assembly

The Assam Cabinet on Thursday decided to table a report on the 1983 Nellie massacre in the November session of the State Assembly. Over 2,000 people were killed in the incident, which occurred during the peak of the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation. -

Victims and perpetrators of terrorism cannot be equated, says Jaishankar

India on Friday cited Pakistan's attempts to protect at the UN Security Council the terror outfit that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack to point out that the global body's work has been "gridlocked" in the absence of urgent reforms.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticised those equating victims and perpetrators of terrorism in the name of global strategy, in an apparent reference to hyphenation of India and Pakistan in the context of the dastardly terror strike.

Gyan Bharatam Mission to ink pact with institutes

The Gyan Bharatam Mission on manuscripts, under the Union Culture Ministry, will on Saturday sign Memorandums of Understanding with around 20 institutes across the country for conservation, upkeep, and digitisation of manuscripts. –

Gyan Bharatam Mission to ink pact with institutes

The Gyan Bharatam Mission on manuscripts, under the Union Culture Ministry, will on Saturday sign Memorandums of Understanding with around 20 institutes across the country for conservation, upkeep, and digitisation of manuscripts. –

EC warns parties against misuse of Al-generated content during elections

Ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly election, the Election Commission on Friday issued an advisory to all political parties on responsible use and disclosure of synthetically generated information and ΑΙ-generated content during election. –

RBI may limit banks' market exposure

India's central bank on Friday proposed limits to banks' lending against stocks, bonds in capital markets, and for corporate acquisitions to ensure that lenders keep such businesses in check.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a draft circular proposing that banks' total direct exposure to capital markets and acquisition financing be capped at 20% of their tier-1 capital, weeks after it said it would ease restrictions on funding mergers and acquisitions. –

Advertising veteran Piyush Pandey passes away at 70

Advertising industry veteran Piyush Pandey passed away in Mumbai on Friday owing to illness. He was 70.

The former chief creative officer, worldwide, and executive chairman of Ogilvy India was known to break Western influence on Indian advertising by popularising Hindi in ad films and taglines that caught the fancy of the masses. –

Japan's new PM commits to higher defence spend, ties with India, Quad

In a dramatic announcement three days after she was sworn in, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said her government will ensure that Japan's defence spending would increase to 2% of its GDP by March 2026, two years ahead of schedule, even as she pledged support for "security partnerships" like the Quad, which includes India. -

Trump axes Canada trade talks over 'fake' ad featuring Reagan

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his decision to end trade talks with Canada over an antitariff advertising campaign, a sudden aboutface soon after a cordial White House meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney. –