October 26: Who and what made news today? Here's a quick wrap before you hit the hay

The Election Commission will announce the nationwide voter list revision schedule on Monday, covering 10–15 states in the first phase. ISRO has rolled out its LVM3 rocket for a November 2 launch with the CMS-03 satellite. India and China resumed direct flights after five years, while Cyclone Montha is set to hit Andhra Pradesh on October 28. In Andhra, police booked a biker for reckless driving in the Kurnool bus fire that killed 20. In sports, Rohit Sharma returned home after a successful Australia tour, and Pratika Rawal suffered an injury ahead of the World Cup semis. French police arrested two men in the Louvre jewel heist case. Here's a quick roundup of the day's most talked-about stories. Catch up before you turn in!

Poll body to announce pan-India SIR dates tomorrow, 10-15 states likely in 1st phase

The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states on October 27, officials said on Sunday. The briefing will be held at 4.15 pm and is likely to be headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. While the poll body’s media invite did not explicitly mention the topic, a report by news agency PTI quoted officials as confirming that the press conference would focus on the Special Intensive Revision schedule. While full details are yet to be released, the poll body is expected to unveil the first phase of the SIR, covering 10 to 15 states, including those scheduled for Assembly elections in 2026. Read more

Isro moves LVM3 to launch pad for November 2 liftoff with CMS-03 satellite

India’s heaviest launch vehicle, LVM3, has been rolled out to its launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, marking the final phase of preparations for its next mission. The fully integrated rocket, carrying the CMS-03 communication satellite, was moved to the pad on October 26, 2025, ahead of its scheduled liftoff on November 2. Designated LVM3-M5, this will be the fifth operational flight of India’s most powerful rocket. The upcoming mission aims to place CMS-03, a highly advanced multi-band communication satellite, into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Read more

India, China direct flights resume after 5-year freeze amid thaw in ties

Direct flights between India and mainland China resume on Sunday after more than five years. The development was confirmed on Sunday by Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India. “Direct flights between China and India are now a reality,” Yu wrote on X. The first flight will take off today from Kolkata to Guangzhou at 10 pm. The Shanghai-New Delhi route will begin operations on November 9, with three flights every week. Read more

Cyclone Montha to hit Andhra on Oct 28, Odisha cancels officials' leaves

Cyclone Montha, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday, is expected to make landfall on the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the evening or night of October 28, with wind speeds touching 90-100 km/hour. As the cyclone nears, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for states like Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry for the next few days. Cyclone Montha is expected to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast near Kakinada, between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, on Tuesday evening or night, with wind speeds of 90-100 km/hour gusting to 110 km/hour. Read more

Great people: Trump's big praise for Munir, Sharif, and an Afghanistan mention

US President Donald Trump on Sunday hailed Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as "great people", pledging to "quickly" resolve the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict. Trump made the remarks while speaking at the signing of the Thailand-Cambodia peace deal on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Referring to the Thai-Cambodia clashes, he said it was one of the eight wars his administration had ended in "just eight months". Read more

Biker killed in Andhra bus fire was drunk, case against him for reckless driving

In the Kurnool bus fire accident that claimed 20 lives, the police have registered a case against Shivashankar, the biker who died moments before the tragic fire for reckless driving. The case was filed based on a complaint by Erriswami, who was travelling with Shivashankar at the time of the incident. According to the FIR, Erriswami said that both he and Shivashankar had consumed alcohol before setting out on their motorcycle. While riding in an inebriated state, Shivashankar allegedly lost control of the bike, which hit a road divider and fell onto the highway. Shivashankar reportedly died on the spot, while Erriswami sustained injuries. Read more

One last time: Rohit Sharma signs off from Australia, heads back to India

Rohit Sharma has signed off from Australia and is heading back to India after completing a fine outing during the ODI series down under. Rohit, who returned to international cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy earlier in the year, scored a hundred and fifty in the three matches and helped India secure the win in the final game. In what was his final outing in Australia, Rohit ended up as the Player Of The Series. The 38-year-old scored 202 runs in three matches at an average of 101. Rohit posted a story on his Instagram, showing that he was heading back home after the series. Read more

2 arrested in connection with daring Louvre jewel heist in major breakthrough

In a crime that has stunned France and shaken the reputation of its most famous museum, police have arrested two suspects in connection with the audacious daylight theft of crown jewels from the Louvre. According to Le Parisien as cited by BBC, the men hail from Seine-Saint-Denis, a working-class suburb of Paris. One of them was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to board a flight, his destination undisclosed. The heist unfolded last Sunday morning, just as the Louvre opened its doors to visitors. Read more

Pratika Rawal suffers freak injury in big blow for India before semis

India have suffered a major setback in their ongoing ODI World Cup 2025 campaign after star opener Pratika Rawal was forced off the field due to a freak injury during the final league-stage match against Bangladesh at Navi Mumbai on Sunday, October 26. The incident occurred on the final ball of the 21st over when Bangladesh’s Sharmin Akter struck the ball towards midwicket. Rawal, charging in to make the stop, attempted to slide along the boundary ropes to prevent a boundary. Unfortunately, her right foot landed awkwardly, causing her ankle to twist and seemingly get stuck on the ground. She immediately went down in visible pain, prompting concern from teammates and officials. Read more

Delhi air quality improves slightly, records lowest October temperature in two years

Delhi’s air quality improved slightly on Sunday, moving from the “very poor” to the “poor” category, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 292 compared to 324 in the morning. The city also recorded a minimum temperature of 15.8°C, the lowest in October in the past two years. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, Anand Vihar reported “severe” air quality with an AQI of 421, while 29 monitoring stations across the city registered “very poor” levels above 300. Read more

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