1. IS Chief Baghdadi, World’s No. 1 Terrorist, Dead: Trump
Islamic State leader Abu-Bakr Al Baghdadi died in an operation by American Special Forces, US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, disclosing that the terrorist leader, cornered in a dead-end tunnel in a compound in northern Syria, exploded a suicide vest that also took the life of three children. Two of his wives died in the operation and US forces did not suffer any casualties, Trump added.
In a long, elaborate press conference that followed the announcement, about which he had given a heads up on Twitter the previous night, Trump repeatedly said Baghdadi died “like a dog… screaming and crying and whimpering…scared out of his mind”.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. PM Modi to Take Longer Route to Saudi as Pakistan Again Denies Airspace Use
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Air India One will take the longer route to Saudi Arabi on Monday as the Boeing 747 will not overfly Pakistan. The aircraft will now fly from Delhi to near Mumbai from where it will turn over the Arabian Sea on its way to Riyadh. The flight plan will factor in Cyclone Kyarr, the first super cyclonic storm in Arabian Sea in 12 years.
“Flying over Pakistan landmass would have meant avoiding Kyarr altogether. Now the flight path will avoid the oceanic Karachi airspace and Kyarr,” said sources.
Pakistan media on Sunday said the country had denied India’s request to allow Modi’s VVIP flight to use its airspace.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Air Quality in Delhi, Noida Very Poor Post Diwali
Delhi and Noida were left reeling under ‘very poor’ pollution levels after Diwali celebrations which saw people bursting crackers to mark the occasion.
The overall air quality index stood at 306 and 356 in Delhi and Noida respectively.
Extremely poor pollution levels were previously predicted in Delhi due to firecracker emissions, unfavourable weather and a significant spike in stubble burning in neighbouring states.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Tamil Nadu: Parallel 110-Feet Hole Being Dug to Rescue Boy Stuck in Trichy Borewell
Efforts to rescue a two-year-old boy who fell into a 600-feet abandoned borewell in Nadukattupatti in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli district entered its third day Sunday after it was delayed for a few hours.
A rig of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has begun to dig a 110-feet-deep hole that will enable rescue and fire team personnel to reach the child. The operation was earlier suspended after the vehicle carrying the rig developed a snag. The parallel borewell is one metre in diameter.
“A parallel borewell is being dug…efforts are on…We have a technical team at the spot comprising officials from L&T, ONGC, Neyveli Lignite Corporation. The Chief Minister has issued orders to ensure that rescue efforts were carried out without any hindrance,” J Radhakrishnan, who is monitoring the rescue operation, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Manohar Lal Khattar Takes Oath as Haryana CM for Second Term, Dushyant Chautala His Deputy
BJP’s Manohar Lal Khattar was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second consecutive term on Sunday while Jannayak Janta Party (JJP)’s Dushyant Chautala, whose party stitched a post-poll alliance with the BJP, also took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister amidst sloganeering by his supporters.
Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya administered the oath to the two leaders at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh.
Even though four official vehicles, meant for the Cabinet ministers, had reached Raj Bhavan, no MLA was sworn-in. At 5 pm, Khattar will chair his first cabinet meeting with his new council of ministers.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. ‘Parties Played Mature Role During 2010 Ayodhya Verdict’
Ahead of the expected Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled how the government, political parties and the civil society prevented attempts to create fissures when the 2010 Allahabad high court ruling on the disputed land in Ayodhya was to be delivered.
He described it as an example of how a united voice can strengthen the country.
In his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio address, Modi asked people to jog their memory and recall the days ahead of the Allahabad high court judgment of September 2010.
“I remember when the Allahabad high court gave its verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi in September 2010. You could jog your memory a bit and reflect about the atmosphere then. Various kinds of people took to the arena. Various interest groups were playing games to take advantage of that situation in their own way,” the PM said.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Business in Kashmir Valley Suffers Rs 10,000 Crore Loss
The shutdown in Kashmir, following the abrogation of Article 370, has crippled the valley's economy as the business community has suffered losses amounting to over Rs 10,000 crore in three months, a trade body said here.
The deadlock in Kashmir, after the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, completed 84 days on Sunday with the valley in shutdown as the main markets continued to remain shut and public transport off the roads.
Some shops open for a few hours early in the morning and late in the evening in certain areas, including in the city centre of Lal Chowk in Srinagar, but the main markets are shut.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Markets Start Samvat 2076 in Green
Samvat year 2076 started on a strong note with the sensex closing 192 points higher at 39,250 at the special hour-long trading session on Sunday evening. Infosys, HDFC Bank and Tata Motors were the three top contributors to the index’s rise. On the NSE, the Nifty too closed higher at 11,628 — up 44 points on the day.
Samvat, also called Vikram Samvat, is the year according to one of the Hindu calendars that is followed mainly by the Gujarati trading community that dominates Dalal Street. Every year, the BSE conducts a special trading session on the first day of the Samvat year, which also happens to be Diwali, and this session is called the Muhurat session.
Veterans of D-Street say that on this day, those who follow the Samvat year should always buy some shares, even if in small lots, and strictly not sell any. With most of the institutions closed for Diwali, usually sensex shows an uptick during the Muhurat trading session. In the last six years, on four such occasions, the sensex had closed higher. However, during Samvat years 2073 and 2074, it had closed with marginal losses.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. PM Modi Celebrates Diwali with Army Jawans, Air Force Personnel in Jammu & Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with the troops deployed in Jammu and Kashmir’s border district of Rajouri and praised them for their valour, saying it enables the government to take decisions hitherto considered impossible. Accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Modi flew to the Army Brigade Headquarters in Rajouri town just a few hours after Pakistani army targeted forward posts in the district.
Wearing a combat jacket, Modi exchanged wishes and sweets during his nearly two-hour-long stay and interaction with the troops deployed along the LoC, officials said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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