Good morning, readers! Here’s your morning news brief to catch you up on the latest developments in Indian and global politics, entertainment, sports, business, and more.
Cyclone Arnab makes landfall
Severe cyclone Arnab began its landfall process on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Kakinada and Yanam in Puducherry early on Wednesday, bringing destructive winds and heavy rain across coastal areas and disrupting daily life. The cyclone was moving northwestwards at 3 kmph, with sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph.
The landfall zone was identified between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, south of Yanam. The IMD has warned that a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above the astronomical tide could flood low-lying areas, particularly around Kakinada and Yanam.
JIO IPO debuts today
Deep Dive
How many people were evacuated ahead of Cyclone Arnab’s landfall?
Why were investors closely watching Jio Platforms’ IPO debut?
Why did India invite Pakistan to the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum?
Reliance-backed Jio Platforms is set to make its stock market debut today. The BSE Sensex fell 617.84 points, or 0.84%, to 72,980.83, while the NSE Nifty dropped 164 points, or 0.72%, to 22,585.75 this morning ahead of the much-anticipated event.
The stock’s listing price and early trading trend will be closely watched for indications of investor appetite for large new listings.
India invites Pakistan for SCO event
India has invited all 10 countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Pakistan, for the bloc’s inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum to be held in Delhi from November 20-22, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. Pakistan last attended the SCO’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa in May 2023.
{{/usCountry}}India has invited all 10 countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Pakistan, for the bloc’s inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum to be held in Delhi from November 20-22, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. Pakistan last attended the SCO’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Goa in May 2023.
{{/usCountry}}Organised jointly by the ministries of culture and external affairs, the SCO event’s invitation to Pakistan comes nearly 18 months after Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation triggered by the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Netanyahu narrowly leads against rival in Israel exit polls
Israel's exit polls reversed overnight on Tuesday, projecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having a narrow lead on his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Voting ended in Israel on Tuesday in a high-stakes national election, in which a total of 7,331,981 Israelis were eligible to vote. The polls witnessed high-voter turnout, with nearly 77.7 per cent of voters casting their ballots.
This was the first elections in Israel since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Security prep for Diljit Dosanjh’s Delhi concert
Diljit Dosanjh’s Delhi concert on October 30 will see a major security upgrade, with around 2,000 private guards expected to be deployed at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Organisers have been asked to bring in more security personnel, arrange extra parking and coordinate with cab aggregators to manage the rush and avoid traffic snarls around the venue.
The arrangements follow Delhi Police’s initial decision to withhold permission for the show over security concerns. The concert later received clearance.