President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday designating the Oval Office, the Outer Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as a national monument and federal landmark. The stated aim is to preserve the spaces and stop future administrations from altering them. It was his first official action after his party was swept aside in Tuesday's midterm elections. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the move in sweeping terms. He said the rooms would not be able to be taken down, destroyed or touched. He also said he would send the designation to Congress to be ratified, and that major modifications would need congressional approval.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed reports that he is planning to leave President Donald Trump's administration amid speculation that he could leave the cabinet to enter the 2028 presidential race. In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Rubio said he intended to remain in the administration until the end of Trump's term.
"It has always been my plan" to work for Trump until the end of his term, he said.
Delhi's overall air quality worsened on Friday morning and remained in the "very poor" category, while many parts of the national capital reeled under "severe" levels of pollution, according to official data. The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 391 (very poor) at 9 a.m., as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). On Thursday, the 24-hour average AQI was 369 (very poor) at 4 p.m., slightly down from 377 (very poor) a day earlier, according to the CPCB's daily bulletin, which is treated as the day's AQI. A higher AQI indicates worsening air quality.
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US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Friday, 6 November 2026. The two leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions.
The official text notes that any viable solution must explicitly "guarantee freedom of navigation and the security of energy supplies". Sheikh Tamim specifically stressed the absolute necessity for continued dialogue and diplomatic solutions to "spare the region further escalation".
In a state struggling to secure enough water for its villages and farms, Maharashtra is turning its attention to structures built centuries ago. The government is planning to bring 75 historic stepwells back into use, hoping that these forgotten water repositories can become part of its response to recurring drought. The initiative seeks to give a practical purpose to traditional water infrastructure that has gradually disappeared from everyday use.
The proposed restoration will focus on stepwells, locally called baravs, which were once important sources of water for communities across the state.
The first phase is estimated to involve an investment of Rs 25 crore. The Cultural Affairs Department has asked officials from seven Archaeology Department divisions to identify suitable structures and prepare restoration proposals.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed reports that he is planning to leave President Donald Trump's administration amid speculation that he could leave the cabinet to enter the 2028 presidential race. In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Rubio said he intended to remain in the administration until the end of Trump's term.
"It has always been my plan" to work for Trump until the end of his term, he said. Responding to reports that he was considering stepping down, Rubio added: "I don't know where these things come from, to be honest with you." He also declined to discuss his political ambitions for 2028, saying: "I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore." The State Department also rejected the reports. Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, described a Bloomberg News report about Rubio weighing his exit as "totally made up".
Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed wants to investigate Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over an explosive diarrhoea parasite linked to lettuce that infected thousands over the summer. Asked on CNN whether he wants to investigate the HHS secretary specifically, El-Sayed said yes, and that he wants to understand the decisions behind what has happened. He criticised what he called Kennedy's "anti-science" approach and said it was not about retribution, but about accountability and fixing problems going forward.
The senator-elect pointed to staffing cuts at the FDA and CDC, which he said may have weakened responses to foodborne outbreaks and recalls, including this summer's Cyclospora outbreak.
“This is not about retribution for something past,” El-Sayed told anchor Kate Bolduan. “This is about understanding what happened, holding people accountable for what they did and then solving the problem moving forward.”
Michigan suffered the worst Cyclospora outbreak, with more than 15,000 cases reported to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services by late August.
China has recorded a sharp fall in marriage registrations in the first nine months of 2026, raising fresh concerns about its already declining birth rate that could add to the worsening population crisis. The country registered 4.648 million marriages between January and September, a drop of 504,000 or 9.8 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the South China Morning Post reported. Around 2.08 million couples also divorced during this period, Reuters reported. The latest figures mark a setback after marriage registrations briefly recovered in 2025.
The World Gold Council reports that gold prices are approaching a potential bottom, with overall market conditions favouring a price turnaround despite the recent dip. The council noted that two of the three historical conditions associated with gold price recoveries are already in place.
The WGC said the current decline is more likely to be a correction than the start of a prolonged downturn similar to the one after 2011, as the macroeconomic and fundamental backdrop remains considerably stronger. "Unlike in 2011, the macro backdrop supports a recovery," the report said.
Gold closed October at USD 3,913 per ounce, down 6.3 per cent during the month, with prices falling across all major currencies tracked by the council. The metal is currently about 25 per cent below its January 2026 record high of USD 5,405 per ounce.
