Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has accused Arab-led parties of election fraud and demanded an investigation into alleged irregularities in the country’s general election. Likud claimed it had submitted hundreds of testimonies and evidence to the police, domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee. Its allegations include voter bribery, intimidation, forged ballots and illegal voter mobilisation software. The election committee said it was reviewing the complaints as part of its election-integrity process. Arab-led parties were projected to win a record 19 seats, potentially influencing government formation. The allegations have not established widespread electoral fraud. (PC: News18)

US forces in the Middle East are preparing for possible major military operations against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, according to a CNN report cited by Hindustan Times. 2 US officials said American forces are positioned to launch an operation within 96 hours of President Donald Trump’s approval. Potential targets could include Iranian military installations, energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities. However, Trump has not made a final decision on whether to authorise the strikes. The report also warned that Iran and Yemen’s Houthi rebels could retaliate against US personnel and facilities if Washington launches a fresh attack. (PC: X)

The BJP maintained its lead in Uttar Pradesh’s Legislative Council elections, while Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP) made significant gains ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. Of the 11 graduates’ and teachers’ seats, results for 10 had been declared by 11:30 pm on Wednesday. The BJP won 6 seats, while the SP secured 4. The SP defeated the BJP in the Lucknow Graduates’ and Agra Teachers’ constituencies and also won Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates. The SP was leading in the remaining Varanasi Graduates’ seat. The results suggest a closer contest between the parties in key constituencies. (PC: NDTV)

At least 46 people have died and 179 others have been injured after 2 high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday. Videos from the crash site show overturned carriages lying in a ditch beside the tracks near Urda, in Toledo province. The trains, operated by state-run Renfe and private company Iryo, were travelling along the Madrid-Andalusia route. Emergency teams rushed to rescue passengers and help the injured. Authorities suspended high-speed rail services on the route as rescue operations continued. Investigators are examining the cause of the collision, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed support for victims and their families.

The United Arab Emirates has honoured Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and his flydubai crew for protecting passengers during a mid-air attack on September 30. The first images of Machchhar’s injuries show stitches across his head following an assault by his co-pilot with a crash axe aboard flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to restrain the attacker. The aircraft later landed safely in Saudi Arabia. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the crew the First Class Order of Zayed II. (PC: HT)

Partial results from Israel’s general election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc leading but falling short of a parliamentary majority. With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies were projected to win 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc was expected to secure 48 seats. Arab-led parties were heading towards a record 19 seats, potentially making them kingmakers. Both leaders have vowed to form a government. With hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots still uncounted, the final outcome remains uncertain. President Isaac Herzog will begin coalition consultations after official results. (PC: BBC)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised concerns over a $686 million US-aided sustainment and modernisation package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet during talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday. Cleared by the US Congress in December 2025, the package aims to extend the jets’ operational life until 2040. It includes avionics upgrades, cryptographic systems, Link-16 secure communications, precision navigation, training, logistical support and new 500-pound bombs. India reportedly warned that advanced US technology could reach third parties amid Pakistan’s close military cooperation with China. The development follows renewed US-Pakistan military ties and previous American approval of advanced air-to-air missiles for Islamabad’s F-16s. (PC: X)

Cyclone Arnab has claimed five lives and caused extensive damage to crops and public infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh after crossing the coast early Wednesday. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to each deceased person’s family and expressed condolences. Three deaths occurred in Visakhapatnam district due to falling electricity poles and trees, while Anakapalli and Bhimavaram reported one death each. According to preliminary estimates shared by Naidu, approximately 15,000 electricity poles were uprooted statewide. The cyclone also affected an estimated 3.45 lakh farmers, with standing crops inundated or damaged across 2,24,489 hectares in 14 districts, he said.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has released revised maximum retail prices (MRPs) for 543 brands of anti-cancer medicines, effective November 9, 2026. The announcement has raised concerns among health activists about excessive pricing and the exploitation of patients. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India (JSA India) argues that controlling trade margins alone is insufficient to make cancer treatment affordable. The organisation maintains that access to life-saving medicines should depend on medical need rather than a patient’s ability to pay. The revised price list was issued by the NPPA under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, amid wider concerns over the affordability of cancer care in India. (PC: Yahoo)

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday extended support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The outfit alleged that the exercise raised concerns about eligible voters being excluded and accused the Election Commission of undermining the principle that citizens, not governments, should choose their representatives. CJP said Kumar had lost the trust necessary to oversee free and fair elections and that his resignation was essential to restore the poll body's credibility and independence. Invoking the Constituent Assembly, it cited Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and other Constitution-makers’ commitment to universal adult franchise. (PC: Times Now)