The Yadav family cast their votes in Patna during the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on Thursday. Former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were joined by their son and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, daughter Misa Bharti, and other family members. They posed for cameras after voting, but Tej Pratap Yadav, who is contesting from Mahua on his own party’s ticket, was not present. The first phase covers 121 of Bihar’s 243 seats, with a triangular contest between the NDA, Mahagathbandhan, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party. (PC: HT)

The Philippines has declared a national state of emergency after Typhoon Kalmaegi caused massive destruction, leaving at least 241 people dead or missing and nearly 2 million affected across the archipelago. The storm triggered widespread landslides, flash floods, and infrastructure collapse, with the central provinces of Cebu and Leyte among the worst hit. Over 560,000 residents were forced to flee their homes, and 450,000 are currently housed in temporary shelters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the emergency order to expedite relief efforts, stabilize food prices, and prevent profiteering as rescue operations and recovery continue. (PC: X)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) released updated draft electoral rolls for Bihar ahead of the assembly polls, revealing multiple irregularities—photos mismatched and names of the deceased included. The revision follows the ECI’s earlier publication of 74.2 million voters in September, removing 4.7 million names—a move opposed by the opposition who allege targeted disenfranchisement of Muslims, which the ECI and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny. Analysts emphasise that female voters—nearly half of the electorate—are pivotal, as their turnout continues to rise and parties offer tailored welfare measures to win their support. (PC: Getty Images)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered that a businessman from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, allegedly travelled abroad nearly 900 times over ten years, mostly to Bangkok, as part of an ongoing fake-passport and foreign-currency irregularity probe. The individual, identified as a transport business owner, reportedly ran frequent trips—at times twice a week—to Thailand, raising questions about how such volume of travel was justified. ED sources say this comes after searches at his residence and involve passport-application intermediaries suspected of forging documents for illegal travels. The probe aims to trace money-laundering links and expose the full network behind the fake-passport operations. (PC: PTI)

Tenzin Yangki from Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh has become the state’s first woman to join the Indian Police Service, clearing the 2022 Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination with All India Rank 545. Industry leader Anand Mahindra described her journey as “Monday motivation,” acknowledging the challenge of breaking new ground as the first. Coming from a family steeped in public service—her late father was an IAS officer and her mother a state government secretary—Yangki recently completed training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, symbolising hope and inspiration for women and youth from Northeast India. (PC: X)

Tata Motors has announced that it will present the first production units of its soon-to-launch Tata Sierra SUVs to the members of the India women’s national cricket team following their championship win at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Each player will receive the top-spec version ahead of the Sierra’s public launch in India on November 25. The automaker described the gesture as a salute to the athletes’ dedication and a reflection of the Sierra’s own values of ambition and innovation. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey vehemently criticised Ameet Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party for commenting that “if anyone tries to impose a ‘Khan’ on Mumbai, it will not be tolerated”, following Zohran Mamdani’s landmark win as New York mayor. Dubey labelled Satam’s mental state as “deteriorated”, vowed his party would finance “treatment at Agra’s Pagal Khāna”, and reiterated that only a Marathi Hindu would become Mumbai mayor, promising the saffron flag in the next municipal election. (PC: Times Now)

Maya Handa, a rising leader in progressive politics, was appointed campaign manager for Zohran Mamdani in July, replacing Elle Bisgaard-Church, and has been credited with steering his victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican contender Curtis Sliwa. Handa previously worked on Mamdani’s state assembly team and managed State Senator Zellnor Myrie’s mayoral bid; she has also collaborated with national figures such as Jamaal Bowman and Elizabeth Warren. Forming alliances with the progressive Working Families Party and grassroots community groups, her strategy helped Mamdani flip working-class Black and Latino neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and the Bronx from primary defeats into general-election victories. (PC: X)

US President Donald Trump again changed his claim about India-Pakistan conflict resolution, now stating "eight planes were shot down" during India's Operation Sindoor. Speaking at Miami's America Business Forum Wednesday, Trump credited trade deals and tariff threats for ending global conflicts. He claimed he was negotiating trade deals with New Delhi and Islamabad when learning they were "going to war," threatening to cancel deals unless peace prevailed. Trump's figures have consistently evolved: initially claiming three jets shot down, then five in July, seven in August, and now eight. He asserted countries called seeking peace after his threats. However, India rejected Trump's mediation claims, stating de-escalation resulted from direct India-Pakistan diplomacy without third-party involvement.

Two young women from West Bengal's Sundarbans defied societal norms by marrying at a local temple ceremony. Riya Sardar, 19, and Rakhi Naskar, 20, both professional dancers, met two years ago and developed a deep bond. While Riya's family opposed the relationship, Rakhi's family and villagers supported the couple, helping organize their simple wedding where they exchanged garlands. Riya, orphaned young and raised by relatives, showed remarkable courage following her heart. Though same-sex marriages lack legal recognition in India after the Supreme Court's October 2023 ruling denying fundamental rights to such unions, the couple's celebration reflects growing acceptance for relationships transcending gender boundaries in rural communities. (PC: India Today)