Himachal to appoint PGI, AIIMS PG graduates sans tests, interviews

Himachal amended its 2025 Resident Doctors Policy to appoint eligible PG doctors from PGI Chandigarh and AIIMS New Delhi to senior resident or tutor specialist vacancies in six medical colleges without tests or interviews. Selection will follow MBBS and PG merit under the 33.33% direct-candidate quota, strengthening specialist services; Clause 7.3.8 formalizes the change.

Actor safe, multiple probe teams formed: Mumbai Police on Tiger Shroff assassination bid

Unidentified gunmen opened fire at actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area Sunday evening as he returned from a private event; Shroff was unharmed, while his driver and an auto-rickshaw driver were injured. Police formed multiple teams and began forensic analysis. A gangster’s claim of responsibility, alleging Shroff ignored warnings about Salman Khan, remains unverified.

Steven Hamilton, 71-year-old fisherman killed by 12-foot alligator, fished almost every night

Steven Hamilton, 71, was killed Friday when an alligator attacked him while fishing at Dr Bradford Memorial Park in Winter Garden, Florida; regulars said he visited almost nightly. Authorities recovered his body about an hour later and removed the nearly 12-foot alligator. Friends remembered Hamilton as kind and generous, while residents voiced concerns about alligators nearby.

Manasum, Signature Global join hands for 164-unit senior living project in Gurugram

Manasum Senior Living and Signature Global will develop 164 senior living units in Gurugram, with ₹575 crore potential, marking Manasum’s Delhi-NCR entry. Sector 37D homes will be priced around ₹3.7 crore, with sales targeted in 12–18 months and handover in 48 months. Signature Global builds the project; Manasum manages care services, supporting Manasum’s national expansion.

Delhi SIR: Thousands line up at special camps ahead of deadline

More than 4.7 million names were removed from Delhi’s draft electoral rolls, prompting voters to visit Special Intensive Revision camps before the October 30 deadline. Residents reported deletions after address checks, rejected online applications, and verification problems affecting migrants and tenants. By October 17, officials had received 447,751 Form 6 applications; camps reopen October 25.

37 social media accounts under scanner for SIR protest misinformation

Delhi Police identified over 37 accounts, including 17 linked to right-wing groups, for allegedly spreading misinformation about SIR protests, filing FIRs and acting against 17 under IT laws and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Users were arrested over AI-generated images falsely depicting a journalist’s harassment; police sought uploader details from X. The journalist and ACP Vivek Bhagat filed opposing complaints.

All Indian Cine Workers Association shocked at firing on Tiger Shroff in Mumbai

Tiger Shroff escaped unhurt after gunmen fired at him in Mumbai’s Juhu area Sunday, injuring two drivers; the All Indian Cine Workers Association condemned the attack and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to arrest shooters and protect actors. Police examine CCTV and ballistic evidence, while an online gang claim remains unverified amid repeated Bollywood attacks.

America's $10 trillion AI data centre boom faces delays, rising costs and investor concerns

America’s $10 trillion AI infrastructure boom is faltering as projects face delays, cancellations, permit barriers and rising costs, while investors retreat from companies such as CoreWeave. In 2026, 47 projects were delayed, withdrawn or blocked, and analysts deem just 35% of the pipeline credible. Financing, electricity and community opposition remain hurdles. The $10 trillion estimate covers 2025–2032.

Class 7 girl student critical after falling from Rohini school terrace; mother alleges lapses

Delhi Police registered a case after a 12-year-old student was critically injured in a fall from her school’s third-floor roof in Rohini, as her mother alleged negligence and a cover-up. The girl remains in intensive care after the October 10 incident; police are investigating, while her mother says safety railings were absent and staff discouraged complaints.

Ayodhya Ram temple Sugam Darshan passes now 90 days in advance

Ram Janmabhoomi Trust doubled online Sugam Darshan passes from 975 to 2,000, approving reforms to make visits accessible and fair. Devotees can book up to 90 days ahead through seven release stages, alongside same-day Tatkal passes. Advance applications will be verified, with decisions within 24–48 hours; passes remain free, and reforms will roll out progressively.

CJP stir: CRPF chief lauds woman personnel for restraint during alleged assault

CRPF chief GP Singh praised a woman officer’s restraint after she was allegedly heckled and slapped by a protester near Palika Bazar during Friday’s Cockroach Janta Party demonstration. Delhi Police filed an FIR and are identifying the suspect; Singh said the officer, a judo practitioner and CRPF team member, showed resilience, and lawful action is underway.

DelhI’s draft e-rickshaw policy proposes 250,000 vehicle cap, ownership limits

Delhi proposes a 250,000-vehicle cap on e-rickshaws, five per individual owner, and mandatory digital compliance certificates in a draft policy issued Sunday. Existing vehicles get 90 days to comply; feedback is invited for 30 days. The scheme sets road-safety rules and penalties, including impounding, to curb traffic congestion, pollution and unregulated operations.

Delhi’s AQI rises to 187 amid dry weather

Delhi’s AQI reached 187 at 4pm Sunday, rising from 159 Saturday and 90 Friday, as officials cited absent rain, slow winds and local emissions. Twenty-one of 58 monitoring stations recorded poor air, while ITO registered a severe 425. Forecasts warn air may be poor October 19–21; PM10 was the dominant pollutant, and CPCB classifies AQI readings of 101–200 as moderate.

Jamia students re-erect protest camp a day after eviction

Jamia Millia Islamia students continued protests Sunday, re-erecting a camp near Gate 7 after eviction and demanding restoration of the union, suspended since 2006. They say elected subject associations fail to address inadequate hostel infrastructure, restricted sports and auditorium access, and limits on gatherings. The university designates Gate 18 for protests, citing past violence behind the union’s suspension.

How Durga Puja pandals managing crowd amid devotees rush

After a Kolkata Durga Puja stampede killed 19 people and injured 25, Delhi police and organisers have tightened safety measures at pandals, particularly in Chittaranjan Park. Plans include trained disaster teams, marked emergency exits, fire and electrical checks, CCTV, barricades, medical aid, separate entrances and exits, and volunteer coordination. Traffic restrictions will apply October 16–20.

NDMC to implement new property tax regime in Lutyens’ Delhi

NDMC has proposed replacing Lutyens’ Delhi’s rent-based property-tax system with a Unit Area Method, publishing draft bye-laws for public feedback until October 23. Taxes would reflect use, age, structure, occupancy, infrastructure and road width; officials say bills may fall 20–30%, especially for old, self-occupied properties. Rebates and early-payment discounts are proposed, replacing current rent-based assessments.

CJP alleges deliberate delay in release of Das, Ranka in judicial custody

Cockroach Janta Party leaders accused authorities of deliberately delaying Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka’s release, as both remain jailed since October 14 after entering Jantar Mantar. Police denied stalling, saying surety bonds were faulty and procedure must be followed; an FIR followed the magistrate’s report of threats. The men were detained for breaching a peace bond.

St Stephen’s breached norms for hiring professors: DU panel

A DU panel found St Stephen’s College breached 2024 recruitment rules by inviting too many candidates to assistant professor interviews, allegedly accommodating otherwise ineligible applicants. The college shortlisted 70 per unreserved vacancy, against limits of 40 for the first post and 20 for each subsequent vacancy. The SOP requires merit-based, category-wise screening and a 55-point eligibility minimum.

Delhi govt holds cleanliness drive for Yamuna at 70 ghats

Delhi removed hundreds of tonnes of waste from the Yamuna during a Sunday cleanliness drive at 70 locations, as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged residents not to dump religious offerings or rubbish. Officials and volunteers joined the Chalo Yamuna Campaign. Drain desilting and sewage-treatment projects are underway; Delhi’s stretch is polluted by 22 drains and untreated sewage.

Delhiwale: Speaking from the heart

Asghari Begum, a Delhi worker who collects discarded items and informally guides roadside parking, prizes earning her own food and says humanity means acknowledging one another. Conversation makes her happy; she dreams of Kashmir’s snow and hopes to die laughing, with burial costs paid herself. Years living on footpaths taught her to forgive readily.

3 arrested for duping 79-yr-old with promise of ancestral gold

Delhi Police arrested three men accused of cheating a 79-year-old businessman of ₹40 lakh and stealing jewellery worth ₹15 lakh by promising to recover buried ancestral treasure through occult rituals. They allegedly posed as a tantric, extracted cash and UPI payments, staged a ritual at his Shahdara home and sedated him; surveillance led to their arrest.

Delhi’s Saptaparni-scented October

Delhi’s October air is dominated by the saptaparni’s sweet fragrance, which fills the city between monsoon rains and winter smog. Once feared as the home of seductive yakshi spirits, this pollution-resistant Himalayan tree was later valued for medicine, including bark decoctions traditionally taken against malaria; its wood made school slates, while Tagore made its leaves a graduation honor.

Video captures Tiger Shroff escaping in car after assassination bid in Mumbai's Juhu

Unknown attackers opened fire on Tiger Shroff as he left an event in Mumbai around 7 p.m. Sunday, injuring his driver and an autorickshaw driver; Shroff suffered minor abrasions and was discharged. The autorickshaw driver was stable with a chest wound, while Shroff’s driver may need hand surgery. HT could not verify an aftermath video.

Two bodies found in Ghaziabad and Noida

An unidentified man’s decomposed body was found partially submerged at an isolated plot in Ghaziabad’s Shalimar Garden on Saturday night, and police are working to establish his identity and cause of death. A ragpicker discovered it around 9:30 p.m.; investigators believe the body is three to four days old, with autopsy findings pending. Separately, a body was found in a Noida drain Sunday.

50+ briefly detained at multiple protests in Delhi

Delhi Police detained and later released more than 50 people after Sunday’s Delhi protests, with no cases registered, as demonstrators challenged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and sought justice for Ankita Bhandari. NSUI president Vinod Jakhar was among those held near Jantar Mantar; a separate march sought accountability over Bhandari’s 2022 murder. The protest site was recently denotified.

US to take 60-day pause to assess Russia sanctions impact on India, global energy prices: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration will take 60 days to assess the effects of sanctions on Russia and its trading partners, as President Trump waived penalties under the Lindsey Graham Act. The law allows tariffs of up to 100% on major Russian-energy buyers, including India, while war-related disruptions strain energy markets.

GMDA to fix missing sewer lines in sectors 81 to 87

GMDA has prepared a ₹10-crore plan to complete 1.6 km of missing sewer lines at 16 locations in Gurugram’s sectors 81–87, aiming to revive a network non-functional for 15 years. Land disputes blocked construction, so pipelines will run beneath roads with load-bearing structures and reinforced-concrete manholes; tenders await CEO approval. HSVP laid the network.

Gurugram: Traffic congestion at Sadar market worsens

Gurugram’s Sadar market is gridlocked during the festive season, with vehicles taking at least 15 minutes to travel 500 metres and queues stretching up to a kilometre, an HT spot check found Sunday afternoon. Haphazard parking, roadside stalls and Ramleela tents were blamed. Police said awareness measures had helped, but barricades remained, with a festive traffic advisory forthcoming.

Thai woman held in Gurugram after drug raid

A 30-year-old Thai woman was arrested in Gurugram after Haryana narcotics officers allegedly seized 14.80 grams of suspected MDMA from a bag hidden behind a television at a Sushant Lok residence, police said. An NDPS Act case was registered; forensic testing and inquiries into the substance’s source, her immigration status and a partner’s alleged drug links are ongoing.

Abdul El-Sayed's heckler ‘Tommy’ in viral video allegedly worked for Sen. Josh Hawley

Viral video identifies “Tommy” as Thomas Teepell, a Republican strategist who reportedly served as Sen. Josh Hawley’s operations director until February. Journalist Marisa Kabas says he later worked on a Kansas Republican’s campaign; father advised Hawley. Kabas raised an unconfirmed America First Policy Institute link. Teepell confronted Democrat Abdul El-Sayed at a Michigan town hall.