Source: The Hindu  Indian Express and others

ECI all set for counting day in Bihar after record turnout

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to count votes in Bihar’s 243 Assembly constituencies on Friday (November 14, 2025), starting with postal ballots at 8 a.m., with the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tallies to begin at 8:30 a.m. A record 67.13% of voters cast their ballots in two phases of polling, the highest voter turnout in the State since 1951.

NAAC issues notice to Al Falah University over false accreditation claim

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council has issued a show-cause notice to Al Falah University — which is under scanner following the Delhi blast — for displaying false certification on its website, officials said on Thursday (November 13, 2025). The NAAC is an autonomous government body that evaluates and certifies the quality of higher education institutions like colleges and universities. In its show-cause notice, the NAAC said it has noted that the university, “which has neither been accredited nor applied for accreditation by NAAC”, has publicly displayed on its website that some of its colleges are NAAC-certified.

Two more held for Delhi blast; Al-Falah University faces audit

A medical college professor and a medical student, both from Jammu and Kashmir, were detained in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday (November 13, 2025), in connection with the car blast near Red Fort. The Jammu and Kashmir police issued a Red Corner Notice against another doctor from Kashmir, now believed to be based in Dubai, whose brother has already been arrested.

Hours before Delhi blast, Umar Nabi seen near mosque close to Ramlila Maidan

Fresh CCTV footage from the day of the Delhi blast shows prime suspect Dr. Umar Nabi walking near a mosque close to the Ramlila Maidan, police said on Thursday (November 13, 2024). In the footage, Umar can be seen walking straight along a narrow lane before turning his head to the right — the moment when the camera captures his face — and then continuing ahead. Investigators believe that he may have visited the mosque shortly before allegedly carrying out the explosion, a senior police officer said.

‘Terror module’ case: J&K Police’s counter intelligence wing carries out raids across Valley

The Counter Intelligence wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday (November 13, 2025) carried out raids at several locations across the Valley in connection with the “white-collar terror module” and the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, officials said. The raids are currently being carried out by Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) at 13 locations, they said. Around 10 persons, including three government employees, have been picked up for questioning from various parts of Kashmir in connection with the ‘white collar terror’ module case, officials said.

Supreme Court reserves verdict on plea seeking compensation for deaths ‘linked’ to COVID-19 vaccines

The Supreme Court on Thursday (November 13, 2025) reserved for orders a petition seeking compensation for ‘After Effects From Immunisation’ (AEFI) deaths allegedly caused by COVID-19 vaccination. A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the writ petition filed by Rachna Gangu and Venugopalan Govindan, who alleged their daughters died due to adverse effects of COVID vaccination.

Air India crash investigation aimed at finding cause, not apportioning blame, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday (November 13, 2025) clarified that the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Air India Flight 171 crash at the Ahmedabad airport, killing 12 crew members and 229 passengers on June 12, was not meant to “apportion blame” but to unearth “what” caused the accident, and to safeguard against such tragedies in the future.

Centre suspends over 4,000 fertiliser distributor licences on hoarding charges

The Union Department of Fertilisers has cancelled or suspended 4,298 licences and the registration of fertiliser distributors for black marketing, hoarding, and diversion of stocks. The Ministry had earlier issued 8,777 show cause notices to the erring traders, and 547 FIRs have so far been registered nationwide.

Centre releases draft Seeds Bill; industry welcomes; farm outfits cautious

After two failed attempts in the past by the United Progressive Alliance and National Democratic Alliance governments in 2004 and 2019, the Centre has brought in yet another draft Seeds Bill. The Union Agriculture Ministry said the draft is aligned with current agricultural and regulatory requirements. The proposed legislation is intended to replace the existing Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983.

Supreme Court finds T.N. challenge to Mekedatu reservoir project ‘premature’

The Supreme Court on Thursday (November 13, 2025) termed Tamil Nadu’s application challenging the proposed construction of a reservoir by Karnataka at Mekedatu across the inter-state river Cauvery as “premature”. Declining to entertain Tamil Nadu’s plea for now, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai said, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the reservoir, submitted by Karnataka, was only being considered by the experts in the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).

Supreme Court wants government to promote EVs amid high air pollution

Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday (November 13, 2025) observed that it may be high time to revisit the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 to promote electric vehicles and even launch a pilot project in metropolitan cities.

India’s carbon emission rise slower in 2025, says report

While global carbon emissions are expected to rise 38 billion tonnes, or by 1.1%, in 2025, the growth in India’s emissions is expected to increase by 1.4%, according to the Global Carbon Project, an authoritative tracker of global fossil fuel emissions. This is lower than in recent years – in 2024, India’s emissions grew by 4% to the previous year.

Trump wants skilled overseas workers to ‘train Americans’ then ‘go back home’: U.S. Treasury Secretary

A day after U.S. President Donald Trump defended the H-1B visa programme, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the “vision” is to bring in skilled overseas workers who train Americans and then go back home. “The President’s vision here is to bring in overseas workers, where these jobs went, who have the skills. Three, five, seven years to train the U.S. workers, then they can go home. The U.S. workers fully take over,” Bessent said in an interview to Fox News on Wednesday (November 12, 2025).

Trump wants skilled overseas workers to ‘train Americans’ then ‘go back home’: U.S. Treasury Secretary

A day after U.S. President Donald Trump defended the H-1B visa programme, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the “vision” is to bring in skilled overseas workers who train Americans and then go back home. “The President's vision here is to bring in overseas workers who have the skills for where these jobs went. Three, five, or seven years to train the U.S. workers, then they can go home. The U.S. workers fully take over,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday (November 12, 2025). Mr. Bessent was asked about Mr. Trump’s latest remarks on the H-1B visa programme, where the President said America has to bring in talent since it does not have “certain talents”.

Special Bangladeshi tribunal to deliver verdict against Sheikh Hasina on November 17

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Thursday (November 13, 2025) announced it would deliver the verdict against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 17 in a case over crimes against humanity. “The three-judge tribunal set Nov 17 for delivering the verdict,” a journalist attending the tightly secured special court in the capital told PTI. Ms. Hasina, her Home Minister in the ousted Awami League government, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and the then inspector general of police (IGP), or police chief, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, were tried in the tribunal, where the ex-premier and Kamal were tried in absentia, with the court declaring them fugitives.

Trump signs government funding bill, ending shutdown after a record 43-day disruption in U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill, ending a record 43-day shutdown that caused financial stress for federal workers who went without paychecks, stranded scores of travelers at airports, and generated long lines at some food banks. The Republican President blamed the situation on Democrats and suggested voters shouldn’t reward the party during next year’s midterm elections. The signing ceremony came just hours after the House passed the measure on a mostly party-line vote of 222-209. The Senate had already passed the measure Monday.

Bangladesh to hold referendum on reform charter proposals: Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh will hold a national referendum on implementing its ‘July Charter’ for state reform, drafted after last year’s deadly student-led uprising, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the head of the country’s interim government, said on Thursday (November 13, 2025). He also reiterated that parliamentary elections will be held in February and that they would be free and fair. The July Charter seeks to reshape the country’s politics and institutions and give constitutional recognition to the 2024 uprising that forced Sheikh Hasina, a long-time Prime Minister, to flee to India.

Turkiye temporarily grounds C-130 planes after crash kills 20 military personnel

Türkiye has temporarily grounded its C-130 military cargo planes as a precaution, the Defence Ministry announced on Thursday (November 13, 2025), following a crash in Georgia that claimed the lives of all 20 military personnel on board. The cargo plane was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Türkiye when it crashed in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, close to the Azerbaijani border, on Tuesday (November 11, 2025). The cause of the crash is being investigated. The National Defense Ministry said C-130 flights were temporarily suspended to allow the aircraft to undergo detailed technical inspections. Only those who successfully pass the checks would be allowed to resume flying, the ministry said in a statement.

PCB reschedules tri-series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka amid security concerns

The Pakistan Cricket Board has rescheduled the opening of a T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to November 18, besides making Rawalpindi the sole venue for the tournament owing to the visiting teams’ security concerns in the wake of a suicide attack in Islamabad. The second game of the seven-match rubber has also been postponed by a day to November 20. Earlier, Lahore was scheduled to host five games of the event, including the final on November 29, but the three boards have agreed to hold the proceedings exclusively in Rawalpindi now.