Source: The Hindu  Indian Express and others

Tejashwi Yadav named CM face of Mahagathbandhan, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani declared Deputy CM face

The INDIA bloc coordination committee chairman and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was declared as the Chief Ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar on Thursday (October 23, 2025). Along with him, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani was declared as the Deputy Chief Ministerial face of the alliance. The announcement was made in Patna by Ashok Gehlot, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior observer for the Bihar Assembly polls, in the presence of Mr. Yadav, Mr. Sahani and other leaders of the alliance.

Secretary of State Rubio warns West Bank annexation could endanger Trump’s Gaza plan

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that moves by Israel’s parliament toward the annexation of the West Bank could threaten President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, which has yielded a shaky ceasefire so far. “I mean, that’s a vote in the – yeah, that’s a vote in the Knesset, but obviously I think the president’s made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now, and we think it’s potentially threatening to the peace deal,” Mr. Rubio told reporters late on Wednesday before leaving for Israel.

Trump claims India will ‘almost stop’ buying Russian oil by year-end

U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that India has agreed to “stop” buying oil from Russia and would bring them down to “almost nothing” by the end of the year. However, he said that it is a process and will take some time. Mr. Trump also said that he would try to persuade China to do the same. China and India are the two biggest buyers of Russian crude oil.

Govt sets November 14 deadline for public feedback on draft rules for National Sports Governance Act

The Sports Ministry has set November 14 as the deadline for general public to submit feedback on the draft rules of the National Sports Governance Act, which seeks to revamp the country’s sports administration and dispute resolution set-up among other aspects. The Ministry has posted the draft rules for the National Sports Board (NSB), the National Sports Tribunal (NST) and the National Sports Election Panel (NSEP) on its website and sought public feedback.

Pan-India SIR to cover more than 10 States in first phase

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to announce the schedule for a country-wide roll-out of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the next few days. The first phase of the process will be implemented in more than 10 States and one Union Territory, including election-bound Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal.

Tri-services to get systems, platforms for ₹79,000 crore

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved a series of capital acquisition proposals worth around ₹79,000 crore aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. According to the Ministry of Defence, the approvals granted during a meeting at South Block will cover a wide spectrum of platforms and systems designed to enhance lethality, mobility and intelligence-gathering capabilities across the services.

Trump to pull U.S. support if Israel annexes West Bank

U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel would lose its crucial backing from the United States if it annexes the occupied West Bank, in a Time magazine interview published. Mr. Trump’s comments, which Time said were made by telephone on October 15, were published as both Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned against any annexation.

Government writes to CJI Gavai on recommendation for successor

The government has written to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai seeking his recommendation for his successor. The CJI is currently on a four-day visit to Bhutan. His office said he would come back and send his recommendation to the government. As per seniority norms, Justice Surya Kant is the next in line to become the 53rd CJI. Chief Justice Gavai is scheduled to retire on November 24.

Reliance Industries recalibrates Russian oil imports to align with India’s guidelines

Reliance Industries Ltd, one of the top importers of crude oil from Russia has decided to recalibrate its oil imports from that country in line with Government of India’s guidelines. A company official confirmed the development. This comes after new sanctions being imposed by U.S. and Europe on Russia oil firms.

Controversy erupts over photo of President’s visit to Sabarimala

A day after President Droupadi Murmu visited the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, a controversy has erupted over an alleged violation of temple protocol after the Rashtrapati Bhavan posted a photo of her praying at the Malikappuram Devi temple. The image, shared on the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s social media account, showed the interior of the sanctum sanctorum as well as the idol. It immediately drew criticism for revealing a sacred space not meant for public display. Following the backlash, the Rashtrapati Bhavan deleted the post later in the day.

Gaganyaan mission: 90% of development work completed, says ISRO Chairman

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan said that about 90% of the development work on the Gaganyaan mission has been completed. “The Gangyaan mission is going on very well. A lot of technological development has to take place. Number one the rocket has to be human rated, the life support system, the crew escape system and of course human centric products. I can say today that approximately 90% of the development work has been completed,” Mr. Narayanan told reporters in Bengaluru.

‘Bachke rehna re baba’: Congress claims PM not going for ASEAN summit to avoid meeting Trump

The Congress claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the ASEAN summit virtually instead of travelling to Malaysia to avoid “being cornered” by U.S. President Donald Trump. Taking to social media platform X, Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh said it was “one thing to post messages in praise of President Trump, but far too risky to be physically seen with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor and that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia.”

Droupadi Murmu unveils bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Kerala Raj Bhavan

President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Kerala Raj Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, the President described K.R. Narayanan’s life as a story of courage, perseverance and self-belief. She said that through immense dedication and the power of education, the former President rose from humble beginnings to occupy the highest constitutional office in the country.

Pratika, Smriti and Jemimah dazzle as India seals last semifinal spot

India couldn’t have hoped for a better way to storm into the semifinals of the Women’s ODI World Cup. The pressure mounted on the home team following three successive defeats, but as it returned to its cherished hub — the D.Y. Patil Stadium — more than 25,000 spectators braved the rain and cheered for the Women in Blue.

AUS vs IND second ODI: Rohit’s 73 in vain as India lose to Australia

Rohit Sharma’s defiant 73 went in vain as India surrendered the three-match ODI series against Australia after losing the second game by two wickets here, a setback that will reignite the debate on the proven match-winner Kuldeep Yadav’s omission from the playing XI. Under pressure, Rohit mixed grit with grace in a 97-ball knock on a spicy track that formed the cornerstone of India’s total of 264 for 9 which was at least 25 short of what should have been a par-score.