&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Latest News India and World LIVE: INDIA bloc CEC protest posponed; Cyclone Arnab brings snowfall to Nepal, and more")
In top stories today Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of using malicious efforts to remain in power following his claim that Arab Israeli parties used foreign backing to “steal” Tuesday’s election. This follows the prime minister’s coalition losing its parliamentary majority. Netanyahu, along with his allies, called on the internal security service, Shin Bet, to probe into alleged vote buying and other discrepancies in Palestinian communities in Israel, supposedly funded by foreign groups. However, the leader of the main opposition bloc, Gadi Eisenkot, accused Netanyahu and his Likud party of attempting to derail the election results.
In other big news of the day, A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) at Shintaphu Lake in Bhutan has raised concerns over a sudden surge of water flowing downstream into India, prompting the Government of India to issue a special advisory for parts of West Bengal and Assam, warning that water levels could rise sharply along the Sankosh River.
Moving on, Veteran Hollywood actor Patrick Stewart, known for playing the iconic Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise and Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek Series, has died at the age of 86. According to his longtime spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, Stewart died after a brief struggle with "Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.”
Stay with us for the latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.
US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have called off several appearances at weekend rallies in three states just three days ahead of the midterm. Trump cancelled two weekend rallies in Iowa and Kansas. Instead, Trump will connect with voters by addressing phone calls. Trump has led 25 rallies in October in the midterm campaign blitz.
Iran said four tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz for navigating in the illegal shipping lanes promoted by the US. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three tankers caught fire after striking mines along what it called an “unauthorised southern route” near the Omani coast. UKMTO reported that an outbound vessel was “on fire” about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab. It comes a day after the US military claimed that it had cleared key routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday said Spain was working "tirelessly" to identify the 69 victims of this week's high-speed train collision as the anguish of distraught relatives grows.
Wednesday's crash in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha was Spain's second such disaster this year and one of Europe's deadliest rail accidents this century.
Relatives of the victims have endured an agonising wait for news as rescue crews sift through the wreckage of tangled metal and bodies are examined in morgues.
ISRO's third space launch of 2026, the GSLV-F18 rocket carrying the 2,250kg NVS-03 satellite, is crucial to enable a phased revival of India's defunct Navigation satellite fleet known as NAVIC. Navigation with Indian Constellation(NAVIC) was envisaged as an Indian version of America's GPS or Russia's GLONASS or China's Beidou. While GPS, GLONASS, and Beidou provide global coverage, NAVIC is meant to serve civilian and defence users within Indian borders and 1,500 km beyond. NAVIC is a project of immense strategic significance, as it is meant to serve the Armed Forces and civilians. ISRO officials confirmed to WION that the countdown for the 24-hour countdown to the launch mission scheduled for 11:51 pm, Friday (Oct 30th), is progressing smoothly.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday (Oct 30) announced that the INDIA bloc had postponed its proposed “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar by a day, citing heavy rain in the national capital. The protest, originally scheduled for 4 pm at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi, will now take place at the same time on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Opposition on Friday (October 30) of spreading rumours about shortages of fertilisers and gas amid tensions in West Asia after the war erupted. He alleged that the intention was to create chaos in public and defame the government. While addressing a public event in Banaskantha, Gujarat, PM Modi stated that the country was experiencing uncertainties due to the situation in the Gulf, but some opponents were using the crisis to mislead people, particularly farmers.
“Today, every youth, sister and daughter is working towards making India a developed nation. But some people do not like this. These are the people who want to see the country in difficulty. They feel happy when they see the country in difficulty. When the nation as one is facing uncertainties emerging due to tensions in the Gulf, they spread rumours about shortages of fertilisers and gas. They wanted to do this only to defame Modi. I want to remind the farmers and all others that I had said that I would stand by you all. The tensions in the Gulf are still ongoing, but the govt did not let the burden of increased fertiliser prices across the world fall on our farmers," PM Modi said.
Russia's flagship independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced Friday it was closing, saying it had been "killed" by state pressure after years of repression targeting its journalists whose reporting was critical of the Kremlin and its Ukraine war.
The closure of Novaya Gazeta, one of the last outlets to openly criticise Russia's offensive, marks a new low in Moscow's campaign against dissenting voices that gained speed after the Kremlin sent troops into its neighbour in 2022.
Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on Friday (Oct 30) discussed normalising political relations with North Korea during a visit to Pyongyang, after formally opening a diplomatic office in the country.
Cassis met his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui in Pyongyang, he said on X.
"We discussed reopening the Swiss diplomatic office in a new format, regularising political relations and reestablishing a political dialogue," said Cassis, who is Switzerland's vice president.
"We also exchanged views on security on the Korean peninsula and broader Eurasian security challenges."
The evacuation of stranded residents in Oleshky, a ravaged Ukrainian frontline city under Russian occupation, was beginning on Friday as part of a US-brokered ceasefire, officials from both Russia and Ukraine said.
Captured by Russia in 2022, locals in the city had faced food, water and medicine shortages for months, with some being forced to hunt and eat pigeons, former residents told AFP.
Officials from both Moscow and Kyiv arrived in Oleshky on Friday to oversee the operation.
The French economy could be "headed for a wall" if the government is unable to pass a deficit-reducing budget soon, its finance minister warned Friday, a day ahead of new nationwide protests over the soaring cost of living.
His warning came as the national statistics office reported that the country's economy has not grown so far this year and contracted in the last quarter.
The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu Police to deny permission for public protests aimed at personally targeting, defaming or intimidating sitting judges and to immediately stop any gathering that turns into a personal attack against a judge [Karthikeyan Vs Union of India].
A sudden major flood struck Bhutan last night, raising suspicions of a possible glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The flood swept away the entire Tsachu area in Gasa district. The swollen Mo Chhu River also damaged a solar irrigation system in Punakha district.
Questions have emerged over the death of a former Bangladesh Air Force officer whose body was recovered from a river in Dhaka, days after his family reported him missing. The officer, Flight Lieutenant Tahsif Souri, was found in the Turag River on Wednesday, according to reports in Bangladeshi media.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance said the security breach, which reportedly put $6.3 billion in crypto assets at risk, was a "complex attack".
Tawang, Sacred Piprahwa relics linked with Lord Buddha are set to be brought to Arunachal Pradesh for a three-week exposition in the northeast state starting with Tawang on October 31, officials said on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a veiled dig at Opposition parties, accusing them of spreading rumours about shortages of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fertilisers amid the West Asia conflict. He alleged that they “get happiness when the country faces difficulty” and were using the situation to defame him.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to forming a government with Arab parties, saying, "It is forbidden to form a government with them," in a post sharing excerpts of speeches by Arab leaders.
Final election results published on October 30 confirmed the pro-Netanyahu bloc secured 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc won 48 and Arab factions 19.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declared a "points victory", citing a record turnout of 77.9 per cent. The results will be submitted to President Isaac Herzog on November 4, with the new Knesset to be sworn in on November 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that serving the people of Gujarat and the country had been the central focus of his journey, crediting citizens for entrusting him with leadership. Addressing a public event in Banaskantha, he said a person from an ordinary family was deemed worthy to serve Gujarat and then the nation.
Praising the region's agriculture, he noted that Banaskantha's potatoes had gained global recognition and lauded Banas Dairy for expanding the cooperative movement. Modi also accused some people of spreading rumours about fertiliser and gas shortages amid Gulf tensions, insisting the government had not let rising global fertiliser prices burden farmers.
Heavy snowfall and rain triggered by Cyclone Arnab have left hundreds of trekkers and tourists stranded in high-altitude areas of Nepal, forcing them to take shelter in hotels and lodges.
Around 250 domestic and foreign tourists are staying in settlements across the Kanchenjunga region, particularly in Olangchungola, Ghunsa and Yamphudin, with accommodation reportedly filled.
A group of foreign tourists heading to Makalu Base Camp via the Lumbasumba Pass has been held up in Olangchungola.
Chief District Officer Umesh Kumar Dahal said no disaster-related incidents had been reported, and authorities have advised tourists to resume trekking only after assessing weather conditions.
The INDIA bloc's proposed public impeachment programme against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has been postponed to October 31 at the same time, due to rain, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi announced on October 30.
"We felt that it would be uncomfortable for seniors to sit in the rain," he said, adding that the decision was taken by consensus. The programme was scheduled for 3.30 pm at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence.
Yemen’s armed forces say they are investigating reports that Houthi forces used projectiles suspected of containing toxic substances in the southwestern province of Taiz, resulting in suspected cases of poisoning and suffocation among civilians and resistance fighters.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted an intra-UT terror financing module in Shopian district following an investigation into suspected financial networks allegedly linked to terrorist activities, leading to the arrest of 10 terrorist associates.
Iran is seeking to shorten the implementation period of a proposed agreement with the United States from 7 days to 4, as mediators discuss holding a meeting in Turkey before November 4 to avert renewed military confrontation, reported Al Arabiya English.
Air pollution from smoke emitted by months of wildfires across Indonesia caused 3,560 deaths in the vast Southeast Asian archipelago in September alone, according to a new scientific report.
A dangerous glacial lake has burst in the Laya region of Bhutan’s Gasa district, triggering a severe flash flood. The incident is expected to affect not only Bhutan but also border areas of West Bengal and Assam. A red alert has been issued across large parts of Alipurduar district.