Trump hints at India visit next year, Quad summit has to wait

In the first confirmation of the Quad leaders' summit, which was to be hosted by India this year, being pushed to 2026, US President Donald Trump has said he could travel to the country next year.

Remove stray dogs from public places, shift them to shelters: SC

Noting that "incidents of dog-bite attacks continue to be reported with alarming frequency", the Supreme Court directed Friday that stray dogs be removed "forthwith" from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations to "a designated shelter, after due sterilization and vaccination in accordance with the animal birth control rules".

PM Bhutan visit likely soon; energy, connectivity on table

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Bhutan next week for his fourth trip to the Himalayan nation since 2014. Though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has yet to announce the visit, the two-day trip is expected to focus on energy cooperation and connectivity, according to sources.

The visit will coincide with the 70th birthday celebrations of former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the father of the current monarch, and feature the inauguration of the 1,020 megawatt Punatsangchhu-II Hydropower Project, which has been financed through a mix of Indian grants and loans.

Resume NREGA work in Bengal: HC to Centre

In a major relief to the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Centre to immediately resume the 100-day work scheme under MGNREGA in the state, which has remained suspended for nearly three years, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government repeatedly alleging that the Centre withheld funds for the project.

Renowned astrophysicist, he was one of IUCAA founders

Naresh Dadhich, one of India's leading theoretical physicists who was widely recognised for his work on gravitation, black hole physics and cosmology, died Thursday in Beijing while on a lecture tour of China, his family said. He was 81.

"Prof Dadhich was an internationally known general relativist and worked in various areas of gravitation theory. He has a great deal of research work to his credit, including the magnetic Penrose process.

COP 30 must address the most vulnerable

The Unfccc's 30th Conference of Parties (COP 30) that begins in Belem, Brazil, on November 10 will mark a decade since the Paris Climate Pact came into force. A lot has changed since the landmark treaty was adopted, and at the same time, the needle hasn't moved much on several longstanding climate issues. Renewables have edged out fossil fuels as the biggest source of energy. Yet, there has scarcely been a slowdown in the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions. Policies now in place are expected to shave off warming by 2100 by nearly one full degree - from 3.6 degrees Celsius pre-Paris to around 2.7 degrees Celsius. That's still way short of the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set in Paris. In the runup to COP 30, more than 60 countries have submitted revised climate action plans. Many more, including India, are expected to do so at Belem. However, by all accounts, collective ambition will not be enough to keep global warming below the threshold set at Paris.

SC draws a red line against arbitrary arrest

In a Crucial ruling, the Supreme Court has said that the police must communicate the grounds of arrest to a person in writing, in the language he understands, within a reason-able time, and in any case at least two hours before the arrested individual is produced for remand proceedings before the magistrate. A bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai said that this key procedural safeguard will extend to all offences and not just those under stringent special statutes like the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). In giving primacy to the personal liberty of an individual, the ruling sets a welcome precedent.

Vande Mataram:

The national song with a tragic journey

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated year-long celebrations commemorating 150 years of the stirring national song, 'Vande Mataram'. He described the song as "an enduring symbol of devotion to the nation". "Vande Mataram' was the war cry of thousands of freedom fighters. It first appeared in 1875. As the Indian National Congress movement turned into a mass movement in the early 1900s, 'Vande Mataram' became the main slogan and inspiration for millions. "The partition (of Bengal) took effect on October 16, 1905... streets of Calcutta were full of the cries of 'Bande Mataram', which overnight became the national song of Bengal and which was soon to become the theme song of the national movement," historian Bipan Chandra writes.

Maoist insurgency is dying, now tackle its causes

The Maoist Insurgency, once described by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as "the gravest internal security threat" to the country, is undergoing a complete meltdown. There are serious differences within the party on the feasibility of continuing the armed struggle; there are mass surrenders; the politburo and the central committee of the CPI(Maoist) have been almost decimated, while its People's Liberation Guerrilla Army is on its last legs.

This is a huge achievement and the result of the central political leadership pursuing an integrated and holistic approach to deal with the LWE insurgency. It also shows the potential of our police and CAPFs to defeat an insurgency.

Panel seeks higher for protection Rhesus Macaque under Wildlife Act

The Standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, has recommended reinstating Rhesus Macaque species of monkeys under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to re-store statutory protection, enforcement against illegal capture, cruelty and to regulate its scientific management.

The panel's recommendation came on the back of internal deliberations and views from states where the simian species is well-distributed. -

Wildlife board panel clears 12 key defence projects in Ladakh

The Standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended approval for 12 key defence projects in Ladakh, of which, Defence Ministry has said, some are necessary for "high level of operational preparedness" in the context of "increasing assertiveness of People's Liberation Army (PLA)". The panel is chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

SC flags issues in property registration, says examine blockchain tech

Noting that the existing "legal framework for purchase and sale of immovable properties suffer from several systemic deficiencies that undermine "transparency and efficiency", the Supreme Court Friday called for a study to examine how the adoption of blockchain technology can help tide over this.

HAL, GE ink deal for supply of engines to power Tejas

The State-Owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and American defence major General Electric on Friday signed an agreement for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines, which will power the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A.

Maldives to acquire military aircraft next year: Muizzu

Maldives Will acquire a military aircraft next year, President Mohamed Muizzu said as he inaugurated the national defence force's first dedicated air station.

"The landmark event formalises a key component of the island nation's defence strategy, significantly expanding the capabilities of the newly constituted Air Corps," state-run Public Service Media (PSM News) said.

China commissions its most advanced carrier

China has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, stated to be the most modern warship equipped with electromagnetic catapults, at a ceremony attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, wrapped in secrecy.

Typhoon Kalmaegi brings rain and destruction in Vietnam

At least five people died in Vietnam after Typhoon Kalmaegi pummelled coastal regions with destructive winds and heavy rain, officials said on Friday, following the storm's deadly passage through the Philippines where it killed at least 188 people.

Kazakhstan to join Abraham Accords with Israel: Trump

Kazakhstan is set to join the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab and Muslim majority countries in a symbolic move aimed at boosting the initiative that was a hallmark of President Donald Trump's first administration.

The action, announced Thursday, is largely symbolic as Kazakhstan has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992 and is much farther geographically from Israel than the other Abraham Accord nations -Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.

Scam centres in southeast Asia are on rise despite continuous crackdowns

It often starts with a text message asking if you are available on weekends, looking for a parttime job or you get a simple "hello" from an unknown number. Halfway across the world, a laborer is usually pulling in 12-16 hour days, sending nonstop messages, hoping someone will take the bait.

The ultimate goal is always to take your money - victims have lost tens of billions to scams and hundreds of thousands of people are in forced labor to keep the schemes going.

End of curbs on acquisition financing by banks to aid real growth: RBI Guv

Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday said the central bank's proposal to allow banks to finance acquisitions will boost the real economy and will come with guardrails to ensure safety of the banking system.

"It (acquisition finance) is acknowledged as an integral element of an evolved financial system that helps in better allocation of financial resources,"

Forex reserves drop $5.62 bn to $689.73 bn

India's forex reserves dropped $5.623 billion to $689.733 billion for the week ended October 31, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday. The overall reserves had declined by $6.925 billion to $695.355 billion.

'3 Indian banks among global top-10 by 2030'

SBI Chairman CS Setty on Friday said the country's largest state-owned bank and two other private sector lenders will be among the top-10 banks globally by market capitalisation by 2030. -

'Positive news on Indo-US FTA by November-end'

NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam on Friday expressed confidence that some positive news on India's proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US will come out by the end of November.

FM hails transformative potential of upcoming OSAT project in Assam

Union Finance Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Friday visited the site of the upcoming Tata Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) project at Jagiroad in Morigaon district, where she met officials overseeing the project and inter-acted with a group of students, start-up founders and entrepreneurs from the state. -

How Trump's 'G-2' framing for US-China relations could impact allies

"G-2" was first coined in 2005 by economist and author C. Fred Bergsten, then Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in his book The United States and the World Economy. He wrote that amid changing power equations, the US needed to focus on cultivating some key bi-lateral relationships, calling them the "G-2". These included the "European Union (for macroeconomic, monetary, and some other issues), China (inter alia for global growth, exchange rates, and energy), Japan (for trade and to counter China's rise), and Saudi Arabia (for energy)."

'Climate change is driven by human need & greed'

Our quest to feed ourselves has been fundamental in transforming the planet.

Maldistribution is a particular challenge: the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food waste alone are estimated to amount to more than the emissions of any single country, with the exception of the US and China. Then there is the other side of the story: the pursuit of luxuries by a small elite has had, and still has, a disproportionate role in driving environmental harm. -