Ukraine lost more than $1 million worth of drones after their connection to Starshield, a US-backed satellite internet service, was disrupted, The New York Times reported. A Ukrainian commander said several drones fell as their video feeds stopped working during missions against Russian targets. The disruption reportedly forced some units to suspend operations for 3 days. Ukrainian officials also said speed restrictions affected drone attacks and air defence. The US administration denied deliberately cutting support, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged a slowdown had occurred and said service had been restored. The dispute has raised tensions between Washington and Kyiv. (PC: NDTV)

Mumbai Police sources said the accused in the firing case involving actor Tiger Shroff had also surveyed Ranbir Kapoor’s residence in Bandra. Investigators are probing an alleged conspiracy linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police told a court that the shooters initially targeted Salman Khan but allegedly shifted their focus to Shroff after finding heavy security outside Khan’s home. Eight people have been arrested so far. Three alleged shooters were remanded to police custody until October 31. Investigators are also examining an alleged weapons supply network, with two women accused of transporting firearms to Mumbai from Amritsar. (PC: India Today)

Raihan Vadra, son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has alleged that 74 photographs documenting youth protests were removed from his exhibition at Delhi’s Bikaner House, hours before its opening on Wednesday. Titled ‘No Idea Is Final’, the exhibition was asked to remove 75 of its 105 photographs, including 2 featuring the national flag, he told NDTV. Vadra said officials cited concerns over the timing and context of the images. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera accused the BJP-led governments of censorship. Bikaner House authorities and the BJP had not responded to the allegations. Vadra plans to display the photographs elsewhere. (PC: NDTV)

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has temporarily suspended the election process across 100 urban local bodies following a Supreme Court directive on complaints of nomination-related obstruction. The court intervened after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) alleged that several candidates were threatened, attacked or prevented from filing nomination papers before the October 18 deadline. The Supreme Court directed the poll panel to examine the complaints and decide whether to extend the nomination deadline. It also ordered adequate security for candidates and election offices. The court stressed that safe nomination filing is essential for free and fair elections. (PC: X)

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have assured a Delhi court that they will not call for protests at Jantar Mantar while it remains de-notified as a designated protest site. In their undertakings before a Special Executive Magistrate, the leaders also promised not to breach peace. The assurance came after their release from judicial custody on Wednesday, October 21. The court directed both leaders to appear again on October 23 with their sureties. Delhi Police has also been asked to submit a verification report before the next hearing. (PC: HT)

The Indian rupee climbed to a six-week high on October 21, supported by foreign portfolio inflows linked to Jio Platforms’ initial public offering and recent central bank measures. The currency touched 94.4925 against the US dollar before trimming gains to trade at 94.56, up 0.4% on the day. It has recovered more than 2% after approaching record lows earlier this month. Reserve Bank of India measures included redirecting oil-related dollar demand away from the spot market and increasing costs for certain importer hedges. RBI interventions and foreign inflows reinforced the recovery. However, elevated oil prices, India’s current account deficit and inflation risks continue to cloud the outlook, HSBC analysts said. (PC: Reuters)

A Delhi court on Wednesday ordered the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka after seven days in judicial custody in a Jantar Mantar trespassing case. Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) rejected Delhi Police’s plea seeking a three-day extension. The leaders were detained on October 13 for allegedly climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, previously denotified as a designated protest site. Their custody was extended by two days on October 19. Both submitted undertakings pledging to maintain peace and not call protests at Jantar Mantar until it is legally redesignated. Delhi Police has transferred the case to its Crime Branch. Arvind Kejriwal congratulated them on receiving bail.

Several houses were set ablaze in the abandoned Khoikai Kuki village in Manipur’s Kamjong district on October 21, 2026, triggering fresh concerns over ethnic tensions. According to police, suspected militants set fire to the houses around 5:30 a.m. The village, located near Chassad, had been deserted after residents fled escalating clashes between the Kuki and Naga communities. Authorities said the extent of the damage and the identities of those responsible were yet to be established. The continuing violence has reportedly killed more than 50 people and damaged dozens of houses across Manipur this year. 

Police investigations into the October 18 firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai have intensified, with the number of arrested accused reportedly reaching 10. The case involves an alleged conspiracy linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. According to NDTV reports, investigators suspect a wider network helped arrange and transport weapons used in the attack. Earlier arrests included three alleged shooters and four people accused of supplying weapons. The firing occurred in Mumbai’s Juhu area; Shroff escaped unharmed, while his driver and a passerby were injured. Police are investigating the motive and the alleged network’s involvement. (PC: NDTV)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday compared the protests by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka with unrest in France, observing that demonstrations there had escalated into violence. “What started as a student protest has become arson and looting,” Justice Subramonium Prasad said during the hearing. The judge questioned the leaders’ alleged breach of a peace bond after they protested at Jantar Mantar, which had been de-notified as a protest site. The court advised them to approach the appropriate revisional court. Das and Ranka later withdrew their plea challenging the extension of their custody. (PC: X)