The Election Commission has launched the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 states. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Booth Level Officers will make three visits to each household to verify voter details. The updated rolls will be published by February 2026. The exercise aims to remove duplicate and fake entries and add new voters. Volunteers will assist senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and poor families. Voter lists in these states will be frozen tonight. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Puducherry are among the poll-bound states included. (PC: India Today)

China has built 36 hardened aircraft shelters at its Lhunze airbase in Tibet, about 100 km from Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang. Satellite images show new runways, tunnels, and drone areas. Experts say the base could host fighter jets and attack helicopters, cutting China’s response time. Former Air Chief BS Dhanoa said this move shows China is preparing for possible war scenarios. Air Marshal Anil Khosla called the development a “serious strategic threat” to India. The Indian Air Force is expected to counter with advanced US-made Sky Guardian drones arriving in 2029. (PC: X)

India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer was admitted to an ICU in Sydney following a fielding injury during the third ODI against Australia. Scans revealed internal bleeding and a laceration to his spleen after he fell on his left lower rib cage while taking a catch. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed his condition is stable and being closely monitored by specialists in Australia and India. The recovery timeline remains uncertain, raising concerns about his participation in upcoming fixtures. (PC: AFP)

Cyclone Montha is expected to make landfall near Kakinada on October 28 after intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm. The IMD has warned of heavy rain and strong winds across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. The Andhra government has evacuated thousands from coastal areas and opened over 400 relief camps. Schools and colleges in affected districts are closed, and several train services have been cancelled. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh are monitoring rescue efforts. PM Modi has assured full central support as disaster teams stay on high alert. (PC: India Today)

The Election Commission of India announced the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across 12 states. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the SIR aims to remove bogus, duplicate, and ineligible names from rolls and add new voters. The first phase was completed in Bihar, where voter numbers dropped after verification. The voter list for the 12 states will freeze tonight. The SIR process will include house visits by booth-level officers and online updates by electors. The next phase is expected to begin in November in states going to polls next year. (PC: HT)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has cautioned that deploying international troops to enforce peace in Gaza would be highly risky and counterproductive. In an interview with the BBC, he stated that no country would want to send its forces into such a volatile and politically charged environment. The King urged a renewed focus on achieving a two-state solution, emphasizing that true peace can only come through justice and independence for Palestinians. His comments come amid ongoing discussions about post-war governance in Gaza and efforts to stabilize the region following months of conflict. (PC: BBC)    

Ahead of the upcoming meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the United States has softened its trade stance toward China. US officials confirmed that the earlier threat of imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese imports has been withdrawn, signaling a shift toward negotiation instead of confrontation. The two sides are reportedly working on a broader trade deal covering issues like TikTok’s ownership, rare-earth material exports, and China’s increased purchase of American agricultural products such as soybeans. The development marks a potential easing of trade tensions and a step toward restoring economic stability between the two nations. (PC: AFP)  

A 21-year-old BSc forensic-science student from Moradabad allegedly conspired with her ex-boyfriend and an acquaintance to murder her 32-year-old live-in partner in Delhi when she found he had recorded obscene videos of her and refused to delete them. The trio reportedly strangled and beat the victim on October 5–6, then staged the scene as a fire by pouring oil, ghee and alcohol and detonating a gas cylinder. CCTV, mobile phone data and call records led to their arrests and recovery of the hard disk containing the videos. (PC: News18)  

A man was caught on video shouting racist abuse at an Indian worker in a McDonald’s outlet in Oakville, Canada. The video shows him yelling, “Go back to your f***ing country, you stupid Indian.” When a woman confronted him, he became aggressive and repeated the slurs. The video quickly went viral, sparking outrage online. Many users condemned the behaviour, calling it “disgusting” and praising the worker for staying calm. Police are aware of the video as Canada faces growing concerns about hate crimes. Recently, a new Hate Crime Unit was formed to tackle racist attacks in the Peel region. (PC: ManyBeenRinsed/X)

19-year-old college student from Faridabad died by suicide after being blackmailed with AI-generated fake photos of his sisters. Police said two unidentified people hacked his phone and demanded ₹20,000 to stop spreading the deepfakes online. The student, a B.Com undergraduate, had received repeated threats and became increasingly distressed before consuming poison on Saturday evening. His family rushed him to a hospital, but he died during treatment. Police have registered a case and are tracing the suspects. Officials said they are examining his phone and chat history to find how the accused created and circulated the fake images.