1. Congress returns to power in Himachal: Congress party is returning to power in Himachal Pradesh with leads in 40 seats. BJP Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said he is accepting the verdict of the people, adding that he would submit his resignation to the governor soon. Meanwhile, fearing poaching attempts by the BJP, the Congress party plans to move its winning MLAs to Chandigarh.
2. Record-breaking victory for BJP in Gujarat: In Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading towards a record-breaking victory, with leads in 158 seats. For the BJP, it is a seventh straight term in power. While the Congress party is winning in less than 20 seats, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is making inroads into Gujarat with five seats.
3. India could face heatwaves above human survivability limit: According to a World Bank report on “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector,” a rise in temperature across South Asia could result in heatwave conditions in India above the human survivability limit. The report underlined: “Up to 75% of India’s workforce, or 380 million people, depend on heat-exposed labor, at times working in potentially life-threatening temperatures.”
4. Rain Holiday for schools and colleges on Friday in Chennai and adjoining districts: Schools and Colleges in Chennai and its adjacent districts Tiruvallvar, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, and Villupuram will have a rain holiday as Cyclone Mandous is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm. Balachandran, Director of Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, warned that the storm could cause minor damage to power and communication lines.
5. “Lock up the men, set the women free” – Kerala HC: The Kerala High Court has criticized curfew timings in women’s hostels. Justice Deven Ramachandran remarked, “Lock up the men. I am saying (this) because they create trouble. Put a curfew for men after 8.00 pm. Let ladies walk out.” He was responding to pleas filed by female students of the Government Medical College Kozhikode against hostel notification restricting them from stepping out after 9.30 pm.
6. S Jaishankar makes candid remarks on the relationship with China: EAM S Jaishankar said that India will not tolerate unilateral attempts by China to alter the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He added that the relationship with China would not be normal so long as the country continues to seek that.
7. FM Nirmala Sitharaman on Forbes’ annual list of The World’s Most Powerful Women: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has for the fourth time featured in the Forbes’ annual list of The World’s Most Powerful Women. Other Indian women on the list are Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar, HCLTech Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Securities Exchange Board Of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, and Steel Authority Of India Chairperson Soma Mondal.
8. Saudis to host Xi Jinping: Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to attend a regional summit with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Arab leaders. Agreements to the tune of $30 billion would be signed, with energy and infrastructure topping the agenda.
9. Taliban carries out first public execution after assuming power: On Wednesday, the Taliban government carried out its first public execution of a murder convict in Farah after coming to power. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the sentence was delivered by the victim’s father by firing thrice with a Kalashnikov. While UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “deep concern,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price called the public execution “despicable.”
10. Air India to spend $400m to refurbish the cabin interiors: Tata Sons is planning to invest $400m in Air India to refurbish the cabin interiors of its fleet. The refurbishment includes the latest generation seats and best-in-class inflight entertainment, also the introduction of a Premium Economy cabin.
Image: Reuters