Indian-American Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won Virginia's lieutenant governor race, defeating Republican John Reid. Born in Hyderabad in 1964, she emigrated to the US at age four, joining her father in Georgia. Hashmi becomes the first Muslim and South Asian American serving Virginia's Senate (15th District since 2019). Her victory triggers a special Senate seat election. She flipped a Republican-held seat in 2019 and chaired the Senate Education and Health Committee in 2024. Hashmi earned a PhD in American literature from Emory University, spent 30 years as professor at University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College, founding CETL. She lives in Richmond with husband Azhar Rafiq; daughters Yasmin and Noor graduated from UVA. (PC: X)

New York's newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared a symbolic City Hall subway station video as his first social media post following his historic mayoral victory. The 34-year-old becomes the first Indian-American Muslim holding NYC's top office after a remarkable grassroots campaign rise from relative obscurity. Born in Uganda to an Indian-origin family, Mamdani moved to America at age seven and became a US citizen in 2018. His digitally savvy, cost-of-living-focused campaign earned praise from New Yorkers despite criticism from President Donald Trump. Mamdani entered the general election as favorite after securing a 12-point Democratic primary victory in June, deploying 100,000 volunteers and knocking on millions of doors.

Delhi woke to thick smog on November 5, recording "poor" air quality, while NCR cities Noida and Ghaziabad slipped into "very poor" zones. CPCB data showed most Delhi stations in "poor" category, except Shadipur at "very poor" (313 AQI). Anand Vihar recorded 284, Bawana 297, and ITO 278. Weather forecasts predict maximum 32°C, minimum 17°C temperatures with 59-94% humidity. IMD issued fog warnings for November 6-7. The Supreme Court urged authorities to take proactive anti-pollution measures, directing CAQM to submit actionable plans with clear data, emphasizing on-ground action beyond advisories. Rain alerts issued for Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Rayalaseema regions. (PC: Business Standard & HT)

A devastating rail accident occurred near Bilaspur Junction in Chhattisgarh when a passenger MEMU train collided with a stationary goods train around 4 pm on Tuesday. The crash killed eight people and injured more than a dozen others, several critically. Preliminary reports suggest the passenger train may have ignored a red signal, leading to the fatal collision. Rescue teams and railway officials rushed to the site, while Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Arun Sao assured full medical support and an immediate inquiry into the cause of the accident. (PC: PTI)

Democrat Zohran Mamdani made history as New York City's first Muslim, Indian-origin, and African-born mayor, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the November 5 election. The 34-year-old progressive's populist working-class message energized voters across five boroughs, achieving the city's highest turnout since 1969 with over 2 million votes. Born in Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani (both Indian-rooted), he became a naturalized US citizen in 2018. Republican Curtis Sliwa finished third after Trump's attacks labeling Mamdani "communist" and questioning his eligibility. Mamdani becomes New York's youngest mayor in over a century, marking a significant progressive Democratic victory amid national party divisions over countering Trump. (PC: X)

The Indian women’s cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, received a grand welcome in Delhi on Tuesday after winning the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. The team defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final in Navi Mumbai, claiming their first-ever World Cup title. Players Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, and Sneh Rana danced to dhol beats as fans and staff celebrated their arrival. Security was tightened in the capital ahead of their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The victory marks a historic milestone for Indian women’s cricket and a proud moment for the nation. (PC: @DelhiAirport/X)

The White House said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak frequently as trade talks between the two countries progress. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has “great respect” for Modi and that both sides are engaged in serious discussions on trade and economic cooperation. She added that Trump recently spoke with Modi during Diwali celebrations at the Oval Office. The talks come as Washington and New Delhi work to ease tensions caused by recent US tariffs on Indian imports, imposed in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. (PC: India Today)

Haryana’s Dharuhera was India’s most polluted city in October, while Delhi ranked sixth, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). All ten of the most polluted cities were in the Delhi-NCR region, with Dharuhera recording a PM2.5 level of 123 µg/m³ and Delhi 107 µg/m³. The report said stubble burning caused less than 6% of the pollution, pointing to year-round sources. In contrast, Shillong, Gangtok, and Mysuru were among the cleanest cities. CREA said India’s pollution problem is constant and that reactive, seasonal policies fail to address long-term emission sources. (PC: AFP)

The ICC has punished players from India and Pakistan over incidents during the Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been fined 30% of his match fee and suspended for two ODIs for making provocative gestures during matches against India. He also received four demerit points within 24 months. India captain Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30% of his match fee for his “Pahalgam tribute” comment, which the ICC said brought the game into disrepute. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his “gunshot” celebration. The punishments followed hearings by ICC match referee Richie Richardson. (PC: AFP)

Hamas has given the Red Cross a coffin it says contains the body of an Israeli hostage in northern Gaza, the Israeli military said on Tuesday. The remains will be sent to Tel Aviv for identification. Earlier, Hamas’s armed wing claimed it found the body of an Israeli soldier in Gaza City’s Shejaiya area. Israel had allowed Hamas members and Red Cross staff to search for remains there. The move comes under a US-brokered ceasefire deal that required Hamas to return all hostages. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the recovery of bodies, saying the group is not cooperating fully. (PC: Reuters)