A British Airways flight from London to Chicago declared an emergency over Ireland on Monday. Flight BA295 sent the 7700 emergency signal, used for serious situations. The Boeing 777 had been flying at about 37,000 feet before descending to around 9,000 feet in about 9.5 minutes. The aircraft then turned back towards London Heathrow. Flight-tracking data showed the plane circling over the Bristol Channel as Heathrow prepared for an emergency landing. The aircraft was also reported to be dumping fuel to reduce its weight. The reason for the emergency has not been confirmed. Further details are awaited.  

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of changing Form 6 “illegally and unilaterally.” Form 6 is used by people to register as voters for the first time. His remarks came after the Supreme Court said it had not approved the changes made to the form. The court has asked the Election Commission to provide records about the changes. It also issued notices to the Centre and the Election Commission. The court did not order Kumar’s suspension. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised voter deletions under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

A Russian drone attack on a Turkish-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea killed its captain on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The ship was carrying corn and had Indian and Azerbaijani citizens among its crew. Eleven crew members were rescued, with one injured. The fate of one person was still being checked. Zelensky condemned the attack and accused Russia of targeting civilian vessels. Separately, a Russian drone strike hit an Indian-owned pharmaceutical warehouse in Ukraine’s Sumy region on Sunday. A 52-year-old worker was killed and three others were injured. The Ukrainian embassy in Delhi also condemned the attack.  

The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the “modified” Form 6 used for new voter registration has not been approved by the court. Chief Justice Surya Kant said the bench would examine the issue after reviewing the relevant records and determine who amended the form. The Election Commission has maintained that Form 6 was not amended, but an additional declaration was added for voters during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The declaration requires new voters to link their details with records of parents or grandparents. The issue has emerged amid allegations that CEC Gyanesh Kumar took decisions without the other Election Commissioners’ involvement. (PC: NDTV)

Delhi Police detained 17 people on Monday after they spent the night outside Parliament Street police station demanding an FIR and action against officers accused of sexually assaulting 3 women journalists during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protesters included freelance journalists, YouTubers and one of the alleged victims. They were taken to Delhi Cantt Police Station. Police said Section 163 was in force across New Delhi and gatherings without permission were prohibited. The 3 journalists’ complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch, which is examining CCTV footage and recording statements as part of the investigation. (PC: The Indian Express)

An Indian-born female cheetah, KJP21, has given birth to 5 cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking India’s total cheetah population to 60. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said the 32-month-old KJP21 is the third Indian-born female cheetah to give birth, after Mukhi and KGP12. The new arrivals include 41 Indian-born cheetahs in the country. The cubs also mark the beginning of the Botswanan lineage in India, as their father is a Botswanan male cheetah. Yadav congratulated veterinarians, field staff and others involved in Project Cheetah, calling the births another milestone in India’s cheetah reintroduction efforts. (PC: HT)

US President Donald Trump has announced a new “Super Intelligence Force” to coordinate the government’s approach to artificial intelligence and maintain US leadership in the technology. The taskforce will be led by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and report directly to Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor will also join the group. The move follows Trump’s September 29 executive order replacing “artificial intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” in official government communications. The administration faces growing pressure over AI safety and regulation. (PC: BBC)

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries that enabled scientists to control cells using light. Their work on light-gated ion channels helped establish optogenetics, a technique now widely used in neuroscience. Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a protein that makes cells respond to light. Deisseroth later introduced the protein into nerve cells and showed that blue light could trigger nerve signals. He also demonstrated that the technique could control nerve activity in living mice. The laureates will share a prize of 12 million Swedish crowns. (PC: HT)

Kolkata-born Sharmila Mona Sinha has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York, becoming only the second woman of Indian origin to receive the honour after Indra Nooyi. Sinha grew up as the third daughter in a family where sons were traditionally valued more. She later moved to the US at 18, studied at Smith College and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. After working at Morgan Stanley and major companies, she shifted towards philanthropy and women’s rights. She has led Women Moving Millions and Raising Change and has served as CEO of Equality Now since 2022. (PC: The Times of India)

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Election Commission over allegations that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took decisions without the consensus of the other two Election Commissioners. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the court cannot rely solely on a newspaper report and needs certified information on whether the decisions were taken unanimously or by majority. The PIL, filed by Patna resident Rakesh Kumar Singh, cited reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on 14 occasions over 10 months. The court said decisions not taken unanimously or by majority could potentially be put on hold. (PC: X)