UK Chancellor John Healey has announced a £2.6 billion support scheme providing approximately 20 million households with £100 energy payments this winter. Eligible households in council tax bands A-D will receive the money directly into their bank accounts, with funding also allocated to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Healey extended the zero per cent VAT rate on electricity bills until July, beyond its expected March 2027 expiry, and confirmed that standing charges on household gas bills would be scrapped. The 5p-per-litre fuel duty reduction will also continue until July next year. Meanwhile, the OBR forecasts UK economic growth slowing from 1.2 per cent in 2026 to 1 per cent in 2027. (PC: Firstpost)

Indian wrestler Neelam Sirohi won silver in the women’s 50kg category at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships on Wednesday, losing to Japan’s Yui Susaki in the final. Susaki, a Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, pinned Sirohi just before the first period ended to secure her fifth world title. The 26-year-old Sirohi became only the second Indian woman, after Anshu Malik in 2021, to win silver at the senior World Championships. She reached the final with a 7-3 semifinal victory over Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova. The edition also marked a milestone for Indian women’s wrestling, with two Indians reaching gold-medal bouts for the first time, alongside Kajal Dhochak in the 76kg category. (PC: UWW)

The BJP mocked the Congress after the party failed to win any of the 28 Legislative Council seats contested in elections across four states, conducted using ballot papers. The results gave BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an opportunity to challenge Congress allegations of electoral irregularities involving Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Congress has repeatedly demanded the removal of EVMs and a return to paper ballots, questioning their reliability amid the BJP’s recent electoral victories. The party drew a blank in the latest MLC polls, including four seats in Karnataka, where Congress is in power. The outcome intensified political exchanges over voting methods and electoral credibility. (PC: India Today)

Satellite images have captured the vast cloud cover of Cyclone Arnab as the very severe cyclonic storm made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on Wednesday, October 28. Images from India’s INSAT-3DS weather satellite showed dense cloud bands spreading across large parts of eastern and southern India and the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department said the storm brought sustained winds of 125–135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph. Although landfall is complete, heavy rainfall, flooding and strong winds remain concerns as the cyclone moves inland. Authorities have warned residents to follow local safety advisories. (PC: India Today)

At least 68 people have been killed after 2 high-speed trains collided south of Madrid, in Spain’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013. More than 500 passengers were travelling on the trains operated by Iryo and state-owned Renfe. Iryo said its train was struck from behind by the Renfe train. Spain’s transport minister described a decision by the control centre as “inexplicable”, following a computer failure that had initially stopped trains. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited an emergency centre near the crash site and said the country was grieving. Major political parties suspended election campaigning as rescue and emergency operations continued. (PC: BBC)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress on Wednesday after the party failed to win a single seat in the Legislative Council elections across 4 states. Highlighting that the polls were conducted using ballot papers, Modi asked how many seats the Congress had won in contests covering 28 constituencies in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. He shared the remark on X with a monocle emoji, referring to the party’s repeated demands for ballot paper voting amid allegations of irregularities in electronic voting machines. The results dealt a setback to Congress, particularly in Karnataka. (PC: NDTV)

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has extended support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, joining the opposition’s demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has raised the slogan “Gyanu Must Go” amid growing political tensions over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP has accused the Election Commission of concerns over electoral transparency and demanded accountability in the voting process. The INDIA bloc has also criticised the revision exercise and raised questions about voter lists. The rally is expected to bring opposition parties together over concerns about electoral fairness and democracy. (PC: News18)

India has indicated openness to direct flights between India and Taiwan after Pakistan barred Taiwanese airlines from its airspace under its “One China” policy. On Wednesday, October 28, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “My sense is, if there are direct flights, they will fly,” when asked about the possibility of such services. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that Islamabad permits only Chinese airlines to use its airspace, according to Bloomberg. The restriction has forced Taiwanese carriers to take longer routes to Europe, with several flights reportedly flying over Russia to avoid Pakistani airspace. (PC: HT)

The Congress suffered a major setback in the Legislative Council elections across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, failing to win any of the 28 seats contested. The biggest blow came in Karnataka, where the BJP-JD(S) alliance swept all 4 seats. The BJP retained 3 constituencies, while the JD(S) defeated sitting Congress MLC Puttanna in Bengaluru Teachers’ seat by 908 votes. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and Samajwadi Party secured wins, while Bihar saw victories for the RJD, BJP, Jan Suraaj Party and an Independent candidate. Counting continued in several constituencies as of October 28. (PC: India Today)

India’s Under-20 women’s rugby sevens team secured a historic 17–0 victory over New Zealand’s Māori invitational side at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Bihar on October 27, 2026. India dominated the match with effective attacking play and disciplined defence, scoring 12 points in the first half and keeping their opponents scoreless throughout. The match was part of the India–New Zealand U-20 Rugby Series, organised to celebrate 100 years of sporting relations between the two countries. However, New Zealand’s men’s team defeated India 32–0, highlighting the contrasting results of the series. (PC: X)