Loni, a town in Uttar Pradesh located around 30 km from Delhi, is facing alarming air pollution levels. Its average PM2.5 concentration over the past 12 months stood at 112.5 micrograms per cubic metre, more than 22 times the World Health Organisation's recommended annual limit of 5. The town also featured among the world's 20 most polluted areas in IQAir's annual ranking. Industrial emissions, small furnaces, dusty roads, construction work, vehicle exhaust and waste burning are among the major sources of pollution. Farm fires and nearby brick kilns further worsen the situation, making the air dangerous for residents. (PC: HT)

A man suspected of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district was killed in a police encounter on Monday. The accused, identified as Dilip Roy, allegedly opened fire at a police team near the Bengal-Bihar border while trying to escape. Police retaliated, injuring him critically. He was taken to Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The girl went missing on November 3 after leaving home for a tutorial class. Her body was recovered from a forest near the Kulik River on November 5. This is Bengal’s fourth encounter killing of a crime suspect in five months. (PC: HT)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s vision of 20 million artificial intelligence agents working alongside human employees has resurfaced amid the company’s voluntary exit offer to around 60,000 workers. A video from June 2026, featuring Nadella speaking with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, is circulating on social media. Nadella imagined a future where 200,000 Microsoft employees could work alongside 2 million or even 20 million AI agents. The company’s exit programme, announced on October 26, covers eligible employees in India, the US, the UK and Canada. Microsoft expects fewer than 5% of eligible workers to accept the offer. (PC: India Today)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate over his ‘Dimagi Naxal’ remarks. In a post on X addressed to CRPF personnel, Gandhi said Modi had called opposition leaders Naxals and questioned who was truly anti-national and controlled by foreign forces. He challenged the Prime Minister to debate him “any time, any place”. The response came a day after Modi, during his Diwali visit to CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, said ideological Naxals had infiltrated several organisations and political parties despite the decline of armed Maoist groups. (PC: News18)

US President Donald Trump has said he was joking when he offered UFC chief Dana White the vacant White House press secretary position. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said White liked the idea but described the offer as “just a little fun”. Trump had announced the offer on Truth Social on Saturday, praising White and asking him to take the job. White later said he would meet Trump on Monday but did not confirm whether he was interested. The position has remained vacant since Katie Zacharia left in October, less than five days after taking charge. (PC: BBC)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and billionaire investor Bill Ackman have expressed support for Nvidia chief Jensen Huang after he admitted to having an affair with a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence. Ackman described Huang as an exceptional person who had made a mistake, saying even successful people make mistakes and deserve support. Musk also agreed with a defence of Huang posted by Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire, who called him one of the greatest entrepreneurs of his generation. Huang has apologised to his wife, family and Nvidia employees. Meanwhile, Nvidia's board has launched an independent investigation into the allegations. (PC: HT)

Bangladesh has renewed its demand for India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, rejecting her request for a new passport and national identity card. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said Dhaka would seek her return under the existing extradition treaty between the 2 countries. He described Hasina as a fugitive and said Bangladesh would not issue fresh travel documents to her. The development comes after Hasina approached Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi through her lawyers. She has expressed plans to return to Bangladesh in December and surrender before a court despite facing a death sentence. (PC: News18)

Mumbai has banned rockets and other aerial firecrackers across the city until November 25 following a sharp rise in fire incidents during Diwali celebrations. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued the order on November 9, covering public and private spaces, including residential buildings, rooftops, balconies, courtyards, parking areas and slum settlements. According to BMC data, the Mumbai Fire Brigade received 142 fire calls on Sunday, November 8, of which 137 were linked to firecrackers. The ban was imposed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Violators could face up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. (PC: The Indian Express)

Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi-starrer 'Ramayana' has crossed the Rs 200 crore mark at the Indian box office within 4 days of its release. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film earned Rs 56.15 crore on Sunday, November 8, coinciding with Diwali. Its total domestic net collection reached Rs 238.85 crore, while the worldwide gross stood at Rs 499.20 crore, according to Sacnilk figures cited by NDTV. The Hindi version led Sunday's earnings with Rs 36.75 crore, followed by Kannada at Rs 7.25 crore and Telugu at Rs 6.25 crore. The film released in theatres on November 5. (PC: NDTV)

China has rejected allegations linking Beijing to an alleged espionage case involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, calling the claims baseless. The state-run newspaper Global Times accused American media of creating a spy narrative around Huang's admitted extramarital affair. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also dismissed the allegations as an attempt to smear China. The controversy follows reports that Alice Huang, a Chinese business executive, was suspected by US intelligence of gathering information for Beijing. Nvidia's board has launched an independent investigation into the matter but said it has no reason to believe company secrets or national security were compromised. (PC: HT)