TODAY NEWS ON October 07, 2026
News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants
Source: The Hindu , Indian Exp and others
Physics Nobel 2026 goes to Francis Halzen for discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin
The Nobel Prize in Physics for 2026 has been awarded to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. Francis Halzen has laid the foundation for an entirely new type of astronomy. His idea was to use glacial ice at the South Pole to capture the secretive particles called neutrinos.
Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as captain of India women’s team
Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as captain of India’s women’s cricket team across all three formats, bringing the curtains down on a leadership tenure that reached its peak with India winning its maiden women’s ODI World Cup last year. The 37-year-old announced her decision in an Instagram post a day after she, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar met BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in Guwahati to discuss the roadmap for the women’s team.
Smriti Mandhana appointed Indian women’s cricket team captain
Senior opener Smriti Mandhana was appointed captain of the Indian women’s cricket team after Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role. Harmanpreet announced her decision to step down as India captain in a social media post, following a review meeting with the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, women’s team head coach Amol Muzumdar, and Mandhana in Guwahati.
India, six other countries express interest to host 2036 Olympics; to present Games projects in Nov.: IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that India, Germany, Qatar and Turkiye are among seven countries with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games and have been invited to present their projects to the Future Host Commission in November.
Rajnath Singh launches Navy’s first indigenous fleet support ship ‘Surya’ at Visakhapatnam
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Indian Navy’s first indigenously built Fleet Support Ship FSS-1 named Surya and laid the keel for the fifth vessel of the series FSS-5 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam. The five Fleet Support Ships are being built under a single contract with 82% indigenous content. HSL has used integrated modular construction to cut build times while meeting naval specifications.
Israel puts military on alert for October 7 anniversary, warns Gazans
Israel’s Defence Minister said he had put the military on high alert before the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, warning Gazans would pay a “heavy price” if forces were harmed. The office of Defence Minister Israel Katz said the instruction came “in light of intelligence regarding Hamas’s intentions to attempt to carry out attacks and terror operations against our forces in Gaza on that day”.
Bypolls held in five Assembly seats, one Lok Sabha constituency
Bypolls were held in five Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry, and one Lok Sabha seat in Assam. The Madurantakam Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu recorded the highest polling percentage of 86%. The other Assembly seat which went to the polls in Tamil Nadu was Dharapuram, which saw a turnout of just over 80%. Both seats in the State were reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates.
‘Targeting of commercial shipping must end’: India condemns latest attack on vessels
The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, and civilian infrastructure following two separate attacks in the Black Sea and off Oman that left two foreign seafarers dead and several Indian crew members injured. Eleven Indian crew members were injured on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) after a Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace was hit by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
UN chief calls for Gaza ceasefire ahead of October 7 anniversary
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday (October 5, 2026) called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza ahead of the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. “It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent. It is time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it is time to respect international law,” Mr. Guterres said in a statement
Two arrested; 13 Navy personnel among 18 under scanner for alleged leaks to Pakistan intelligence operatives
The Counter Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Department has uncovered an espionage module in which 18 people including 13 Navy personnel are suspected of passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives. Two of them have been arrested. The suspects were allegedly sharing information related to defence establishments and strategic locations at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and other parts of the country with Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), the intelligence officials said in a release.
Cabinet clears apex body to handle roads, rail, ports as one network
The Union Cabinet approved a Special Purpose Vehicle — the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) — which will be the apex body to plan, appraise and monitor transport and logistics projects that are now handled separately by different ministries and agencies. Its central task will be a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of 10 years or more, covering every major mode.
Centre to propose five-pronged reform plan at GST Council meeting on October 8
The Centre will propose a five-pronged plan for the next set of reforms to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system at the upcoming GST Council meeting on October 8, according to sources in the Ministry of Finance. These reforms are aimed at automating and easing a lot of the current administrative bottlenecks in the GST system, and reducing the compliance burden, especially for small businesses. Rates, including the GST on the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions, will not be on the agenda.
Paramount and Warner Bros merge to become one Hollywood giant, Skydance
It’s official: Skydance-owned Paramount has closed its USD 81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The companies completed the deal, ushering in a new Hollywood giant with the now shorter “Skydance” name tag. The merger brings two of America’s oldest moviemaking studios together. And HBO Max, titles ranging from “Harry Potter” to “Sinners,” and even networks like CNN find themselves under the same roof as Paramount+, CBS and the likes of “Top Gun” and “The Godfather”.
U.S. moves to strip 40 persons of American citizenship
The U.S. launched the largest denaturalisation effort in modern history by moving to strip 40 individuals, including one of Indian origin, of their American citizenship, the Department of Justice said. The 40 individuals facing denaturalisation actions in multiple U.S. courts have been accused of serious offences, including acting as an agent for a foreign government, committing voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated sodomy against a man with special needs.
Privilege versus free speech case in Supreme Court disposed of in half an hour after two-decade wait
After a pendency of well over 20 years in the Supreme Court, a seven-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant took less than half an hour on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) to dispose of as infructuous a reference related to questions linked to legislative privilege being used to choke free speech, arising out of a 2003 Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution to arrest editors of The Hindu for an editorial criticising then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Paramount completes its takeover of Warner Bros
Skydance-owned Paramount closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday, ushering in a new Hollywood giant. The merger brings two of America’s oldest moviemaking studios together, under a new name: Skydance. The deal, which followed a tumultuous, roughly yearlong fight, further concentrates power in an industry already run by just a handful of major players.
Nigeria nears 2,000 repatriations from South Africa after latest evacuation flight
Another 105 Nigerians arrived in Lagos from South Africa on Friday, bringing to 1,926 the number repatriated since June following xenophobic attacks, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.Foreign ministry spokesperson Oluwafemi Adeniyi said the latest group was comprised of 26 men, 29 women and 50 children.
UK Police arrest British national over security incident at US-run air base
The UK Police on Tuesday arrested a 22-year-old British national on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in connection with a security incident at a US military-run air base, RAF Fairford.It is the seventh arrest by the counter-terror police related to the security scare at the base, which is located 100 miles (160 kilometres) west of London. The base has been used by American bombers to strike Iran during the war that started earlier this year.
UK police make further arrest in relation to suspected RAF Fairford airbase plot
The UK Police said on Tuesday they had arrested a 22-year old British man in London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts in relation to the suspected plot at the RAF Fairford airbase used by the US to strike Iran.
Russia tells WHO there are no plague cases in Siberian city
Russian authorities told the World Health Organisation on Tuesday that it has no cases of plague in the city of Irkutsk in Siberia, where a laboratory worker at a plague research institute died last week, according to a spokesperson for the UN health agency. Moscow, which is required under global health rules to respond to WHO requests within 24 hours, previously told the WHO authorities were investigating whether pneumonic plague caused her death.
11 Indians injured after attack on ship near Oman, MEA condemns strike
A Panama-flagged commercial vessel, MT On Peace (IMO 9893204), was struck off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The ship had 19 crew members, of whom 17 were Indians. A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that 12 crew members have been injured, including 11 Indian nationals. “With the assistance of Omani authorities, the injured crew have since been evacuated and are receiving medical treatment in Khasab, Oman,” the MEA added.
2 ships hit by drones in NATO member Bulgaria’s Black Sea zone
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on Tuesday confirmed that two commercial vessels were struck by drones in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This is the first attack on shipping in the NATO member’s economic zone in the Black Sea, AP reported.
Kenya confirms first ebola case imported from Congo, patient dies in Nairobi
Kenya’s Health Ministry confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case after a citizen who arrived from Congo via Uganda tested positive for the virus.Health Minister Aden Duale said that a Kenyan citizen who arrived in the country on Saturday from Congo via Uganda was kept in isolation and treated at Nairobi Hospital.
Germany arrests former intelligence chief over espionage allegations
Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office said former Federal Intelligence Service chief August Hanning was arrested Tuesday on espionage allegations.Hanning served as president of the Federal Intelligence Service, or BND, from Dec. 1998 to Nov. 2005. He was arrested in Bad Toelz-Wolfratshausen in southern Germany.
Israel orders military readiness in Gaza ahead of October 7 anniversary
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the military to increase readiness and “be prepared for any possible scenario in Gaza” ahead of the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack, according to The Times of Israel.Katz cited “intelligence indicating that Hamas intends to try to carry out assaults and attacks against our forces in Gaza on that day.”
UN Chief Antonio Guterres arrives in Islamabad for 3-Day talks
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad for three days of talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior Pakistani officials.In a post on X, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Guterres’ arrival, stating that he was received by Acting Foreign Secretary Nabeel Munir.
Mecca defence alliance could become ‘NATO of Middle East’, says US representative
US Representative Joe Wilson said the Mecca Defence Alliance could become a “NATO of the Middle East” as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia escalate.“The Mecca Defence Alliance has the potential to be the NATO of the Middle East,” Wilson said Monday on X, thanking Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for activating the pact in response to what he described as Houthi “Iranian-backed aggression.”
Turkey, Pakistan to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under Mecca pact amid Houthi attacks
Turkey and Pakistan will undertake a rapid deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia under a new mutual defence alliance, as the kingdom faces escalating attacks from Yemen’s Houthis. Following the meeting in Riyadh, the three countries agreed “to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the Kingdom”, according to a joint statement.
Trump says US moved bombers from RAF Fairford due to threat
US President Donald Trump said that Washington moved its B-1 bombers out of RAF Fairford due to “some threats”.Speaking to the reporters on Monday, Trump said that the United States had known of potential threats and decided to move the aircraft rather than “tempting the enemy”.
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