All 32 flights from Visakhapatnam Airport cancelled Tuesday as Cyclone Montha approaches landfall, while Vijayawada Airport scrapped 16 flights. South Central Railway cancelled 120 trains across October 27-28. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi confirmed 11,396 people evacuated to 2,048 disaster relief centers across eight southern districts—Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, and Kandhamal. Of 2,693 identified pregnant women, 1,871 shifted to hospitals with remaining 822 expected by evening. Odisha deployed 153 rescue teams including 6,000+ personnel from NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Services. Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed Indian Coast Guard verified no vessels remain in Bay of Bengal's impact zone.

Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Turkey collapsed Tuesday, with both nations blaming each other for the impasse. Pakistan sought assurances Afghanistan wouldn't allow cross-border terrorism, specifically by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Kabul denies supporting. Pakistani officials accused Afghanistan of "stubbornness," while Afghan state media claimed their negotiators made "constructive efforts" unlike Pakistan. The breakdown revives concerns over Defense Minister Khawaja Asif's warning of potential "open conflict" if diplomacy fails. Recent violence includes Sunday's clash killing five Pakistani and 25 Afghan soldiers. The failed talks follow a brief October 15 ceasefire. Meanwhile, India-Taliban relations improve after Foreign Minister Muttaqi's Delhi visit, with diplomatic ties restored and Taliban condemning Pakistan-based Pahalgam terror attack.(PC: Modern Diplomacy & NDTV)

Cyclone Montha is set to make landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday evening. The India Meteorological Department said the storm, with wind speeds of 90–100 kmph and gusts up to 110 kmph, is moving north-northwest. Heavy rain has already hit parts of southern Odisha and coastal Andhra. The government has evacuated people from low-lying and hilly areas and deployed over 5,000 rescue personnel. A red alert has been issued in 19 districts, while trains and flights have been cancelled. The IMD warned of rough sea conditions and urged people to stay indoors. (PC: The Indian Express)

Delhi conducted its first full-scale cloud seeding trial Tuesday to combat post-Diwali smog, with IIT Kanpur's modified Cessna-206H releasing silver iodide and sodium chloride flares over northern Delhi areas including Khekra, Burari, and Mayur Vihar. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said eight flares were deployed during the 30-minute operation, with artificial rain expected within 15 minutes to 4 hours if successful. Delhi's AQI stood at 305 (very poor category), with 27 of 38 monitoring stations reporting similar readings. The Rs 3.21 crore project, approved in May for five trials, faced multiple weather-related delays. Last week's test flight failed due to insufficient atmospheric moisture below 20%.

Indian World Chess Champion D Gukesh defeated American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura at the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown 2025 in Saint Louis. Their rematch came weeks after Nakamura’s controversial act of throwing Gukesh’s king into the crowd. This time, Gukesh stayed composed and quietly reset the chessboard after his victory. His calm and respectful gesture impressed fans around the world. Many praised his sportsmanship and maturity, calling him a true ambassador of the game. The 19-year-old champion’s behaviour stood in sharp contrast to Nakamura’s earlier drama, earning widespread appreciation across the chess community. 

Amazon confirmed cutting 14,000 corporate jobs globally, citing the need to organize "more leanly" for AI opportunities. Senior VP Beth Galetti told staff the restructuring would strengthen the company by reallocating resources toward "biggest bets" and customer needs. She called AI "the most transformative technology since the Internet," enabling unprecedented innovation speed. Earlier reports suggested 30,000 layoffs. The cuts affect corporate workers like executives, managers, and sales roles among Amazon's 350,000 corporate employees and 1.5 million total workforce. CEO Andy Jassy warned in June that AI adoption would reduce jobs as machines handle routine tasks. Affected employees receive transition support, severance pay, and internal job placement assistance. UK impact remains unclear. (PC: BBC) 

Dubai's 'Emirates Loves India' event at Zabeel Park on Sunday drew over 100,000 attendees, forcing authorities to shut entry gates after reaching capacity. Thousands of Indian expatriates were turned away as the venue hit safety thresholds. The cultural extravaganza, featuring Neha Kakkar, Mika Singh, Neeraj Madhav, and Nabeel Khan, marked the second year celebrating India-UAE ties through music, regional performances, and exhibitions. Organizers apologized for the closures, citing "overwhelming attendance." Residents queued from 1 PM, hours before the program started. Indian Embassy official A. Amarnath noted India's UAE diaspora has doubled from 2.2 million (2014) to 4.3 million today. Performer Neeraj Madhav offered to organize a compensatory show.

Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm with 175mph winds, becoming potentially the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica since 1851 record-keeping began. Three storm-related deaths occurred in Jamaica during preparations, bringing total fatalities across Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica to seven, with over 10 injured. The US National Hurricane Center forecasts landfall Tuesday morning on Jamaica's southern coast, threatening catastrophic flooding with up to 40 inches of rain in some areas and life-threatening storm surge. After Jamaica, Melissa will move toward Cuba Tuesday night (bringing 300mm rain) and southeastern Bahamas by Wednesday. Cuba issued hurricane watches for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Holguin provinces.

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor for being enrolled as a voter in both Bihar and West Bengal. Reports say Kishor’s name appears in voter lists in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur constituency and Bihar’s Kargahar constituency. The poll body reminded that a person cannot be registered in more than one constituency under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Kishor has been asked to respond within three days. His team said he became a voter in Bihar after the Bengal polls and has applied to cancel his Bengal voter card. (PC: HT)

Indian refiners have paused new oil purchases from Russia after the US imposed fresh sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, the country’s top energy producers. The move has raised payment and supply concerns, with buyers waiting for guidance from the government and suppliers. Some refiners, including Indian Oil and Reliance Industries, are now turning to spot markets to meet short-term crude needs. Reliance, India’s biggest private refiner, has also stopped importing oil from Rosneft. India imported about 1.9 million barrels of Russian crude per day this year, but volumes are falling amid tighter sanctions and shrinking discounts. (PC: India Today)