The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a 24-hour mobile internet shutdown within a 4-km radius of the Janpath–Kartavya Path crossing in New Delhi ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest on October 10. According to a Delhi Police Special Cell order issued on October 9, services across all technologies will remain suspended from 10 pm Friday until 10 pm Saturday. Telecom operators, including Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Jio and MTNL, have been directed to implement the restriction immediately. The order cites the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, and the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The protest demands Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral roll revision irregularities. (PC: X)

Pakistan has withdrawn from the 2026 Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament, with Bangladesh named as its replacement. The competition will run from October 27 to November 5 at venues in Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab. India, the defending champions and reigning Asian Games gold medallists, will open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 27. Six teams including India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and China will compete in a single round-robin league, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. India will subsequently face China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 4, followed by the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches on November 5. (PC: AP)

Connaught Place may see widespread business closures on October 10 as traders prepare for a planned Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. The New Delhi Traders Association has urged shops, offices and restaurants to shut as a precaution against potential violence, traffic disruptions and property damage. Police have denied permission for the demonstration, which seeks Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral roll revision irregularities. Separately, the Chamber of Trade and Industry has warned that repeated protests and transport restrictions are hurting festive-season business, estimating Delhi’s trade has fallen by 70 per cent. It has sought restrictions on demonstrations in major commercial areas until Diwali. (PC: X)

South African jurist Navi Pillay joked that she might share her 2026 Nobel Peace Prize with US President Donald Trump if the applause continued. The 85-year-old made the remark in Nuremberg, Germany, after colleagues congratulated her, in a moment captured in a video shared by Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard. Pillay initially suspected the Nobel announcement was a joke and said she wanted to verify it, drawing on her experience as a lawyer and judge. The Nobel committee recognised her commitment to universal legal principles and strong moral compass. A former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Pillay also headed the tribunal investigating the Rwanda genocide.

India has criticised the US suspension of eight IT firms from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme (PERM), saying the move does not advance the shared ambitions of both countries. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also called US Vice-President JD Vance’s description of H-1B foreign workers as “foreign indentured servants” “deeply offensive,” citing its painful historical and colonial connotations. India stressed that skilled Indian professionals contribute to American innovation, productivity, research and job creation. The MEA clarified that PERM is separate from the H-1B visa programme, so existing H-1B visas remain valid, although eligible employees of affected companies could face disruptions to their Green Card applications.

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, an 85-year-old South African jurist of Indian Tamil descent, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The daughter of a Durban bus driver, Pillay began her journey during apartheid-era South Africa, where racial discrimination once prevented her from entering judges’ chambers because of her skin colour. She persevered to become the country’s first non-white woman High Court judge. Pillay, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is recognised for defending anti-apartheid activists and helping prosecute those responsible for the Rwanda genocide. Her career has spanned human rights advocacy, judicial service and efforts to uphold international justice. (PC: X)

Madhya Pradesh Police detained at least 30 protesters travelling to Delhi for a demonstration scheduled for October 10 against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police intercepted the protesters at Bhopal, Itarsi and Gwalior, with participants reportedly coming from Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Authorities said the detainees were being counselled to return to their home states, citing concerns about public order. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) had planned the protest at Jantar Mantar, but Delhi Police denied permission and imposed extensive security restrictions ahead of the demonstration.

US Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has criticised President Donald Trump’s administration for suspending major technology companies from the employment-based green card programme. She argued that the move restricts legal immigration and could weaken America’s ability to attract global talent. The suspension affects companies including Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL Technologies, Cognizant and Capgemini. The administration claims the programme is being misused to disadvantage American workers. However, Jayapal defended the PERM programme, which helps skilled foreign employees pursue permanent residency, warning that restricting legal immigration could harm innovation, businesses and families.

South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on October 9. The committee highlighted her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who opposed apartheid, alongside her contributions to major international legal cases. Pillay has served as a judge at important international tribunals, building a career focused on justice and human rights. The award carries a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony will take place in Oslo on December 10. (PC: Reuters)

Filmmaker Rohit Shetty has paid tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar following his death at the age of 75 on October 8, 2026. Recalling their close bond, Shetty revealed that Patekar refused to accept payment for his cameo in the 2017 comedy film Golmaal Again. When asked about his fee, the actor reportedly told Shetty to donate the money to an orphanage instead. Shetty also remembered Patekar’s late-night phone calls, straightforward personality and honest opinions about his films. He described the actor as generous, genuine and unfiltered, expressing sadness over losing a valued friend and mentor. (PC: X)