Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has officially recommended Justice Surya Kant as his successor, following the seniority convention in judicial appointments. Justice Kant, currently the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, is expected to assume office as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on November 24, 2025, after Justice Gavai’s retirement. His tenure will continue until February 9, 2027. Known for his notable judgments on environmental protection and civil liberties, Justice Kant earlier served as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2019. (PC: The Hindu)    

Bangladesh’s interim head Muhammad Yunus sparked a diplomatic row by presenting a book to Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairperson Sahir Shamshad Mirza during his Dhaka visit. The book’s cover reportedly featured a distorted map claiming India’s seven northeastern states, including Assam, as part of Bangladesh. India’s strategic “Chicken’s Neck” land corridor to its northeast was called into question by Yunus in recent remarks, exacerbating tensions. New Delhi is monitoring the incident but has not officially responded so far. (PC: India Today)    

Sunil Gavaskar, India’s former cricket legend, believes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma deserve automatic inclusion in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup squad, regardless of intervening results. He noted that both players showed clear intent by making themselves available for the Australia tour. According to Gavaskar, given their experience and calibre, they "can be written straight into the squad" if fit and willing. The comments underscore his view that age shouldn’t undermine selection when form and availability align, reinforcing the enduring value of the two stalwarts to India’s batting lineup. (PC: AFP)  

The Supreme Court rebuked state governments for not following its August order to catch, sterilise, and release stray dogs. The court said, “Your country is being portrayed in a bad light internationally,” as dog attacks continued across several states. Only Bengal, Telangana, and Delhi’s civic body have filed replies, some delayed during the Diwali break. The court ordered all chief secretaries to appear personally and explain the delay. The August order required sterilisation and vaccination before releasing dogs. Rajasthan, Noida, and Chennai have started implementing the order through vaccination and microchipping drives. (PC: X)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that an artificial pond filled with filtered water was created near the Yamuna at Vasudev Ghat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ceremonial Chhath Puja dip in Delhi, accusing the BJP of attempting to mislead the public and gain Purvanchali voter support. AAP claimed ordinary devotees were left to worship in the polluted river while the PM used a “fake Yamuna.” The BJP dismissed the charges as baseless and politically motivated, asserting that all ghats were properly cleaned and reopened for public use.    

India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer was rushed to hospital in Sydney following a fielding incident in the third ODI against Australia at the SCG. He landed awkwardly while taking a catch, suffered a rib-cage injury which led to internal bleeding and critically low vital signs, prompting admission to the ICU. Medical officials confirmed a lacerated spleen and grave condition under observation. No timeline for his return has been set, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming fixtures. (PC: Cricbuzz)  

French police have arrested two men linked to the daring $102 million crown jewel heist from the Louvre Museum in Paris on October 19. One suspect was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to flee to Algeria, and the other in Seine-Saint-Denis. Authorities believe the men are part of a larger organized crime network involved in art and luxury theft. Most of the stolen jewels remain missing, with fears they may have been dismantled or smuggled abroad. Investigators continue to track leads across Europe to recover the priceless artifacts. (PC: X)

The mother of the doctor who died in Satara district alleges her daughter was forced to sign a fabricated post-mortem report and that the death was disguised as suicide. The victim, a government doctor, had accused a police sub-inspector of repeated sexual assault and a software engineer of mental harassment in a suicide note found on her palm. Two individuals — the SI and the techie — have been arrested in connection with the case. The allegations have triggered major political uproar, with demands for a high-level independent investigation. (PC: NDTV)    

During the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, S. Jaishankar engaged in talks with Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia focusing on deepening bilateral cooperation and enhancing people-to-people links. The meeting highlighted India’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific and the “India-ASEAN” partnership, with Jaishankar conveying the best wishes of Narendra Modi for the summit’s success. Discussions touched upon strategic sectors including defence, technology, and economic collaboration — signalling a stronger engaging role for both nations in regional architecture. (PC: PTI)    

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) of deliberately spraying water near air quality monitoring stations, particularly at Anand Vihar ISBT, to artificially reduce Air Quality Index (AQI) readings. AAP claimed that data showed PM10 levels dropped abnormally from 736 µg/m³ to 221 µg/m³ during the spraying, only to rise again after it stopped. The party said this manipulation aimed to present falsely improved pollution data. Experts stated such actions only offer short-term dust suppression and do not reflect any real improvement in Delhi’s air quality.