TODAY NEWS ON October 05, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News

• Haryana Assembly polls today on October 5
• PM Modi says conflict-hit regions are important for energy security
• Security forces kill at least 28 Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad
• Cases can’t be lodged against journalists for criticising govt: Supreme Court
• Women's T20 World Cup: Devine leads New Zealand to victory over India
• Jaishankar to visit Pakistan to attend SCO meet on October 15-16
• Jaishankar meets President Dissanayake, assures India’s continued support in Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding
• Markets turn topsy-turvy; Sensex, Nifty slump nearly 1% on FII outflows, West Asia tensions
• R.G. Kar case: West Bengal junior doctors likely to call off ‘total cease work’
• Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu to arrive in India for 1st bilateral visit from October 7
• Private sector activity grew at 10-month low pace in September
• HIL to return after 7 long years; women’s event added for first time
• Erythrism recorded among golden jackals in Nilgiris raises concerns about population health

International News

• Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut, cut off key crossing into Syria
• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran’s allies ‘will not back down’ in war with Israel
• Source close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah says slain leader Hassan Nasrallah temporarily buried
•  

Headlines in detail

Haryana Assembly polls today on October 5

An electorate of over 2 crore will decide the fate of 1,031 candidates, including political heavyweights like Congress’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Vinesh Phogat and Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, in the Haryana Assembly election on Saturday (October 5, 2024).

PM Modi says conflict-hit regions are important for energy security

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made oblique references to the widening conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war on Friday (October 4, 2024), saying the two regions were crucial for the global economy and energy security. His comments came amid fears of further escalation in the Middle East if Israel were to retaliate and attack Iran, potentially its nuclear, and oil facilities. This, analysts fear, could fuel a surge in energy prices and draw the region into a wider conflict.

Security forces kill at least 28 Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad

At least 28 Maoists were killed by security forces in a gunfight in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Friday (October 4, 2024), according to the police. No security personnel were injured in the operation. The gunfight began around 1 p.m. in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district in the left-wing extremism-affected Bastar region. At 8 p.m., the police provided the final number of bodies recovered, after which Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the forces in a post on X.

Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut, cut off key crossing into Syria

Israel carried out another series of punishing airstrikes Friday (October 4, 2024), hitting suburban Beirut and cutting off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria for tens of thousands of people fleeing the Israeli bombardment of the Hezbollah militant group. The overnight blasts in Beirut’s southern suburbs sent huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shook buildings kilometres away in the Lebanese capital. Additional strikes sent people running for cover in streets littered with rubble in the Dahiyeh neighbourhood, where at least one building was levelled and cars were burned out.

Cases can’t be lodged against journalists for criticising govt: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday (October 4, 2024) said criminal cases could not be slapped on media persons perceived as critical of the government while barring the Uttar Pradesh Police from taking coercive steps against a journalist for his article about a “casteist tilt” in the deployment of officers occupying key positions in the Yogi Adityanath administration. “In democratic nations, freedom to express one’s views is respected. The rights of the journalists are protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Merely because writings of a journalist are perceived as criticism of the government, criminal cases should not be slapped against the writer,” a Bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S.V.N. Bhatti underscored in its judicial order.

Jaishankar to visit Pakistan to attend SCO meet on October 15-16

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation’s visit to Pakistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ‘Heads of Government’ (HoG) meeting in Islamabad on October 15-16, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday (October 4, 2024).

Jaishankar meets President Dissanayake, assures India’s continued support in Sri Lanka’s economic rebuilding

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and discussed “ways to deepen ongoing cooperation and strengthen India-Sri Lanka ties,” and assured India’s continued support to the island nation’s economic rebuilding. Mr. Jaishankar arrived in Colombo in the morning on a day-long visit, less than a fortnight after President Dissanayake was sworn in.

Source close to Lebanon’s Hezbollah says slain leader Hassan Nasrallah temporarily buried

A source close to Hezbollah said on Friday (October 4, 2024) that the Lebanese militant group’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily buried in a secret location for fear Israel would target a large funeral. “Hassan Nasrallah has been temporarily buried, until the circumstances allow for a public funeral,” the source said, after an Israeli strike killed the leader last week.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran’s allies ‘will not back down’ in war with Israel

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed in a rare address on Friday (October 4, 2024) that his allies around the region would keep fighting Israel, as he defended his country’s missile strike on his country’s arch-foe. he Iran Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had a rifle by his side as he addressed worshippers in Tehran in a rare public sermon, days after Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

Markets turn topsy-turvy; Sensex, Nifty slump nearly 1% on FII outflows, West Asia tensions

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slumped nearly 1% in a topsy-turvy trading session on Friday (October 4, 2024), dragged by intense selling in FMCG, auto and energy stocks amid escalating tensions in West Asia and persistent foreign capital outflows. Besides, a spike in global crude prices on supply uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions dented market sentiments, traders said.

R.G. Kar case: West Bengal junior doctors likely to call off ‘total cease work’

The agitating junior doctors in West Bengal are likely to call off their “total cease work” on Friday (October 4, 2024) and resume normal duties soon after, while continuing their demonstrations. After holding a governing body meeting throughout Thursday night (October 3, 2024), the junior medics decided to hold a rally on Friday afternoon (October 4, 2024), during which they are likely to announce their decision to withdraw the “total cease work,” a source said.

Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu to arrive in India for 1st bilateral visit from October 7

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will travel to India on an official visit from October 6 to 10, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday (October 4, 2024). This is the first bilateral visit of President Muizzu to India. He will also visit Mumbai and Bengaluru. “President Dr. Muizzu will arrive on 6th evening and the State visit will start from October 7,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Private sector activity grew at 10-month low pace in September

Growth in India’s private sector activity slowed to a ten-month low this September, as per the HSBC India Composite Output Index, which slipped from 60.7 in August to 58.3 last month, as factories and services players clocked a reduction in momentum. The Composite Output Index is a combined metric based on surveys of 400 purchasing managers each in the manufacturing and services sectors, and a reading of over 50 on the index indicates an expansion.

HIL to return after 7 long years; women’s event added for first time

The much-awaited Hockey India League (HIL) will return after seven long years in a new avatar, where both the men’s and women’s teams will participate in the event beginning December 28. While the men’s competition will have eight teams, six sides will feature in women’s event which is being held for the first time.

Erythrism recorded among golden jackals in Nilgiris raises concerns about population health

Researchers have recorded the first expression of erythrism (an unusual congenital manifestation of reddish skin pigmentation) in golden jackals, Canis aureus, in the Nilgiris. The record is the first that has been made in the golden jackal’s entire distribution range. Published as a short note in the Journal of Bombay History Natural Society (BNHS), researchers Arockianathan Samson, J. Leona Princy, K. Thillairasan, Govindaraj Naveen Yadav, and forest ranger N. Mariyappan made the rare record in the Upper Nilgiris. “Coat colouration plays an important adaptive role in mammals, functioning as both camouflage and as a means of intra and interspecific communication,” the authors noted.

Women's T20 World Cup: Devine leads New Zealand to victory over India

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine led from the front with an unbeaten 57 in her team's 58-run win over India in their opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup on Friday. Devine, who hit seven fours in a late blast, steered New Zealand to 160-4 despite a stutter after she had elected to bat first in Dubai. Medium-pace bowlers Rosemary Mair and Lea Tahuhu then shared seven wickets to bowl out India for 102 in 19 overs to end New Zealand's 10-match losing streak.