Plane With 12 People On Board Crashes In Kenya

A plane with 12 people on board has crashed in Kwale near Kenya’s coast, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) said on Tuesday.

The aircraft with registration number 5Y-CCA was on its way from Diani to Kichwa Tembo in Maasai Mara crashed at 0530 local time (02:30 GMT) the aviation authority said in a statement.

The KCAA said government agencies were already on site working to determine the cause of the accident and assess its impact.

Photos and videos shared by local media showed the debris of the plane engulfed in flames. (ANI)

Air India Ground Handler’s Bus Catches Fire At Delhi Airport

A bus operated by AISATS, a ground handling service provider for Air India, caught fire at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 on Tuesday afternoon, but no aircraft, airport facilities, or passengers were injured, according to a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) statement.

The bus caught fire near C-34 Pier, Terminal-3, at about 12:25 p.m.

“When the fire was noticed, the driver evacuated all passengers and then tried to douse the fire using the fire suppression system on board the vehicle. But sensing that it was not effective, the driver too got away. The Bus is reportedly a CNG bus, and the cause of the fire is some technical malfunction,” the CISF said.

The information was immediately passed to the Fire Service, and necessary action was taken.The ARFF team responded, and the fire has been extinguished. The situation is under control. No damage to any aircraft or other facilities has been reported so far.

Meanwhile, CASO, CO Ops, and DC Ops also responded to the location, the CISF said. (ANI)

Giriraj Singh

These People Opposing SIR To Get Muslim Notes: Giriraj Slams Oppn

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday hit out at the INDIA bloc for opposing the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise that the Election Commission of India (ECI) plans to conduct across several states, saying that the opposition was objecting to it to garner Muslim votes.

“I want to thank the Election Commission for the SIR. There are some states that are opposing the SIR. The INDIA alliance is opposing it. It looks like the government of West Bengal has become the Government of Bangladesh. These people oppose it only to get Muslim votes. They want to turn India into a dharamshala,” Singh told ANI.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi today alleged “vote scam” occurring in every constituency, while criticising the Election Commission of India (ECI) for “escaping accountability” by remaining non-responsive to concerns of “voter manipulation.”

“Election Commission continues to think that with its brazen non-response to genuine concerns of vote manipulation, they will be able to escape accountability. But deep dive into every constituency is consistently showing vote scam,” Chaturvedi posted on X.

Highlighting the “vote chori” demonstration by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chaturvedi said that the probe carried out by Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also confirmed the addition of “fake voters” in some constituencies.

“LoP Rahul Gandhi in his press conference had shown how fake voters were added in some assembly constituencies of Karnataka and now the SIT investigation is also confirming the same,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Aaditya Thackeray made a presentation alleging discrepancies in the voter list, claiming they led to the defeat of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.

The Worli MLA claimed that “bogus” voting took place during last year’s assembly elections and flagged that the alleged discrepancies could impact the upcoming Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Earlier, the ECI will conduct the second phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 States and Union Territories, with the final voter list to be published on February 7, 2026, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, CEC Kumar said the exercise will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

EC said that printing and training will take place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November to December 4. The Draft Electoral Rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objection period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 2026, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.

“The second phase of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) is about to be carried out in 12 States and UTs,” the CEC said.

Following the Supreme Court’s directions, the ECI has included Aadhaar on the list of 12 indicative documents, as per its September 9 order on the SIR in Bihar. (ANI)

Nitish Banking on Memory of Jungle Raj, Tejashwi on its Fading

Political scientists across the globe, especially those studying democracy at the grassroots, have found Bihar and the way it elects its leaders to be an unfathomable area of research. Though she never worked on Bihar, political scientist and Lancaster and Keele University professor Margaret Canovan once referred to democracy having two faces. She mentioned that one face represented moral transformation and the politics of empowering ordinary people while the other was the face of practical democracy, where compromises are made for good governance.

In Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) embody these two faces. This Assembly election hinges on one crucial question: will Tejashwi Yadav of RJD show the practical face of democracy or will Nitish Kumar be able to represent the politics of moral transformation?

This line can be debated as Lalu Prasad Yadav is often credited with politically empowering the masses. However, under his son Tejashwi Yadav, RJD must show its practical side, because the sharp-edged politics of social justice had lost its appeal by 2005. People were weary of the 15 years of chaotic rule under Lalu-Rabri Yadav.

Anthropologist Jeffery Witsoe, who has closely studied caste and caste-based politics, writes that during the 1990s, the political assertion of the so-called lower castes, especially the other backward classes and Dalits, in Bihar triggered a deep conflict between the newly empowered political leadership and state institutions dominated by upper castes like the bureaucracy, police, and judiciary. As a result, caste-based empowerment politics disrupted the normal functioning of public institutions in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar projected himself as a pragmatic alternative. His politics struck a balance between development and social justice, something Lalu had failed to do. Nitish Kumar’s political model made Bihar move from politics of social justice to that of social adjustment.

According to a 2015 Lokniti-CSDS survey, about 42% of respondents believed that Lalu’s politics gave voice and dignity to Dalits and backward castes. However, nearly half of them also believed that his politics was responsible for Bihar’s backwardness and lawlessness.

If the RJD fails to demonstrate its practical side, it will struggle in the elections. Its social coalition remains imbalanced, still dominated by Yadavs and Muslims, with limited participation from other castes. Generally, allies help bridge such gaps, but the RJD in not expecting much from the Congress, at least that’s what the bitter haggling over the seats showed.

In the 2020 election fought in alliance with Congress and CPI(ML), the Grand Alliance came out weaker from its performance in 2015, when Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) was also part of the conglomerate. With Chirag Paswan’s LJP emerging stronger by getting a respectable seat share in the rival alliance in this elections, the RJD cannot afford to outsource Dalit vote mobilization.

However, Nitish’s pragmatic politics is now running out of fuel and is largely seen as a symbol of convenience and stagnation. From 2005 to 2015, he enjoyed immense popularity. In the 2015 CSDS survey, 40% of people considered him their first choice for Chief Minister. But the situation has changed. According to the latest C-Voter survey, Tejashwi Yadav now leads with 35% preference, followed by Prashant Kishor with 23%, and Nitish with only 16%.

The BJP, on its own, has made inroads into the JD(U)’s core voter base of EBCs (Extremely Backward Castes) and Kurmi–Kushwahas. Evidence of this includes the Modi government’s approval of a caste census, the Bharat Ratna awarded to Karpoori Thakur, and the appointment of a Kushwaha, Samrat Chaudhary as Deputy Chief Minister. Between 2005 and 2020, the BJP’s vote share in seats it contested rose from 35% to 42%, while the JD(U)’s declined from 37% to 32%.

Another factor is the rise of the new generation. According to the Election Commission, 47% of Bihar’s voters are between 18 and 39 years old. For this group, the memories of the Lalu–Rabri era are faint. However, they do remember Tejashwi Yadav’s two stints as Deputy Chief Minister, when he focused on employment and public issues.

Additionally, Prashant Kishor (PK) poses a fresh challenge in this electoral landscape, who offers technocratic idealism against the cynicism of old politics. His role too needs a detailed analysis but let’s limit this discussion to battle between the two protagonists.

Both the JD(U) and RJD face the same challenge of moving Bihar’s politics beyond the legacy of “Lalu’s Bihar.” For the RJD, this means promising a Bihar that does not resemble the Lalu era. To Tejashwi’s credit, he has tried to focus on issues that concern ordinary people.

Nitish Kumar’s party is fighting to not fall victim to the fading memory of Lalu’s rule. Nitish’s popularity was originally built on resentment against Lalu’s governance, and as that resentment fades, so does Nitish’s political influence.

However, in the fresh push to their campaign both Kumar and the BJP leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are working overtime to recall the ‘jungle raj’, how much would it work, only ballots would tell!

Ultimately, Bihar’s election is not merely a contest between parties or leaders. It is a referendum on which face of democracy the state chooses to embrace, the moral or the practical, transformation or compromise.

(The writer is an author, academic and president of the Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice)

CAQM Bans Entry Of Non-BS-VI Commercial Goods Vehicles Registered Outside Delhi

In a move to curb rising air pollution in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Tuesday announced that all commercial goods vehicles registered outside Delhi and not compliant with BS-VI emission standards will be prohibited from entering the city from November 1.

The official notification issued by CAQM states, “The Commission with a view to abate air pollution caused by high volume of transport/commercial goods vehicles entering into Delhi, in exercise of its powers conferred under Section 12(1) of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2O21, issued Statutory Direction No. 88 dated 23.04.2025, directing for a strict ban on entry of all transport/ commercial goods vehicles viz. LGVs, MGVs and HGVs, other than BSVI, CNG, LNG and EVs, into the NCT of Delhi w.e.f. O1.11.2025 except such vehicles registered in Delhi.”

According to the notification, non-BS-VI compliant commercial goods vehicles are allowed to enter Delhi only until October 31, 2026.

“Such non-BS-VI compliant transport/ commercial goods vehicles, carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services were permitted to enter Delhi, but only for a limited period up to 31.10.2026, beyond which such goods and services will also have to be catered only through CNG / LNG / EV / BS-VI diesel vehicles,” the notification said.

A meeting of the CAQM panel was earlier held to review the preparedness for the implementation of the said direction.

The notification said, “To review the preparedness for implementation of the said direction, a series of meetings were held with all stakeholders, viz., Transport Department, GNCTD, MCD, NHAI, MoRTH and Transport Department of NCR States, wherein issues were raised regarding nonavailability of adequate arrangements for returning such non-compliant vehicles, which may lead to congestion at border entry points. It was also intimated that about 40% of the total goods vehicles entering Delhi carry essential items/supplies. In addition, a number of representations have also been received from various transport associations and entities highlighting their difficulties.”

Post-Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been reeling under the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in several areas, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in effect.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Delhi stood at 304 as of 1 pm on Tuesday, classified as the ‘very poor’ category.

Among the city’s monitoring stations, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 311, RK Puram 316, Siri Fort 347, Bawana 334, Burari Crossing 319, Dwarka Sector 8 311, Mundka 318, Narela 302 and Punjabi Bagh 313 — all categorised as ‘very poor’.

Meanwhile, Delhi is expected to witness its first artificial rain, as the aircraft designated for cloud seeding has taken off from Kanpur for the national capital.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed the development.

Cloud seeding involves artificially generating rainfall by introducing specific particles, such as silver iodide crystals or salt-based compounds, into moisture-laden clouds.

Aircraft are used to disperse these particles, which condense smaller cloud droplets into larger raindrops, potentially leading to precipitation. (ANI)

Lucky Ali Bengaluru Farm

Lucky Ali Reflects On His Early Years Of Life Before Pursuing Career In Music

The celebrated Bollywood singer Lucky Ali believes he was a “good-for-nothing” person before experiencing success in the music industry.

Known for his iconic songs like ‘O Sanam’, ‘Safarnama’, and ‘Ek Pal Ka Jeena’, Lucky Ali is one of the popular singers of India.

Ahead of his highly anticipated India music tour titled “Re: Sound” by Jet ALive, Lucky Ali reflected on his initial years of life, saying that before becoming a musician, he considered himself useless or without direction.

While talking to ANI, Lucky Ali said, “I was a ‘Vela, a total ‘Vela’ before that. Good for nothing. That’s what I was before I even became a musician. I couldn’t keep a job because I wasn’t cut out to have a job.”

Recalling his childhood, Lucky Ali said that his early education and experience were related to “animal husbandry” and “horse breeding”, which didn’t offer him professional opportunities at that time in India.

“I was more, I was brought up on a farm and stuff like that and what I learned was about animal husbandry and horse breeding. That’s the stuff I learned, and that was not a career that you could have in India,” said Lucky Ali.

It was followed by his father, the legendary actor Mehmood Ali, suggesting that he pursue acting, believing it was a better choice for his son, Lucky Ali.

However, it was not the profession Lucky Ali wanted to pursue because he felt “uncomfortable” in it.

“He (Mehmood Ali) felt that I should act in movies. And, I did a couple at his behest. I did Kaante and Sur. And, then I started slowly being pulled in again to something that I was really uncomfortable with,” said Lucky Ali.

“Hence, I made a conscious decision and decided that no, I would keep music as my career. To the best of my ability,” added the ‘O Safarnama’ singer.

The actor also shared his opinion on the growing use of AI in the ever-changing world of social media.

When asked about the abundant use of AI cloning of veteran singers by social media users, Lucky Ali said that such adaptations can never reproduce the “soul of the artist” who sang the original song.

“An artist will always remain an artist. AI will always remain soulless. So, it will never be the soul of the artist. It will only be your adaptation of the copy,” said Lucky Ali.

Lucky Ali’s India tour titled Re: Sound will kick off on November 2 in Delhi, followed by the shows in Kolkata (November 22), Bengaluru (December 6), Hyderabad (December 13), and Ahmedabad (December 20). (ANI)

Indian, US Navies Hold Joint War Drill Near Diego Garcia

India and the United States conducted a combined bilateral training focused on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime domain awareness to strengthen and refine interoperability between the two navies.

Sharing the details in a post on X, the US 7th Fleet said, “US and India navies fly together! Combined P-8 training near Diego Garcia sharpened anti-submarine warfare skills and maritime domain awareness, bolstering our collective ability to secure the Indo-Pacific.”

An official statement by the Defence Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) said, “A multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) P-8A Poseidon from Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72 joined an Indian Navy MPRA P-8I for a bilateral combined detachment and training in the vicinity of Diego Garcia and the Indian Ocean, Oct. 22-28, 2025.”

After the arrival of the P-8I to Diego Garcia, the US and Indian crews worked together on operational planning for the exercises to set the groundwork for increased enhanced information sharing and cooperation at sea. This shore phase was concluded by a combined flight and bilateral anti-submarine and communication exercise, the statement observed.

“Patrol Squadron (VP) 4 is assigned to CTF 72, the command and control headquarters for Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft in the US 7th Fleet, promoting regional security and enhancement of theatre security operations through multilateral engagements and providing reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities,” it further mentioned.

The US 7th Fleet is the US Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners towards the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The statement highlighted how the training built on prior interoperability exercises such as Tiger Triumph 2025, where the Indian and American armed forces incorporated satellite and unmanned technologies to enhance joint communication and warfighting capabilities.

“The US-India strategic partnership is founded on shared values, including a commitment to democracy and upholding security, freedom, and prosperity,” the statement underscored.

Quoting Capt Rodney Erler, commodore of CTF 72, it mentioned, “Our P-8A crews were proud to fly alongside our Indian partners in this combined detachment.”

“Maritime domain awareness, which the global network of P-8 aircraft contribute to, is a critical aspect of identifying threats, traditional and non-traditional, that could threaten the stability and security in the region. By working with our allies and partners, we increase our shared maritime awareness to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.” (ANI)

Delhi Set For 1st Artificial Rain; Cloud Seeding Plane Leaves From Kanpur

Delhi is expected to witness its first artificial rain, as the aircraft designated for cloud seeding has taken off from Kanpur for the national capital.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa confirmed the development.

Cloud seeding involves artificially generating rainfall by introducing specific particles, such as silver iodide crystals or salt-based compounds, into moisture-laden clouds.

Aircraft are used to disperse these particles, which condense smaller cloud droplets into larger raindrops, potentially leading to precipitation.

Post-Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been reeling under the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in several areas, even as Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in effect.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Delhi stood at 304 as of 1 pm on Tuesday, classified as the ‘very poor’ category.

Among the city’s monitoring stations, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 311, RK Puram 316, Siri Fort 347, Bawana 334, Burari Crossing 319, Dwarka Sector 8 311, Mundka 318, Narela 302 and Punjabi Bagh 313 — all categorised as ‘very poor’.

Last week, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described cloud seeding as a necessity for the national capital and a pioneering step toward addressing the city’s persistent environmental challenges.

Speaking to ANI, Rekha Gupta said, “Cloud seeding is a necessity for Delhi and is the first experiment of its kind. We want to try it in Delhi to see if it can help us control this very serious environmental problem.”

She added, “So the blessings of the people of Delhi are with the government, and we feel that this will be a successful experiment and in the future, we will be able to overcome these environmental problems.” (ANI)

Manoj-Priyamani’s ‘The Family Man 3’ Release Date Announced

The makers of India’s beloved series ‘The Family Man’ have finally announced the release date of its third season on Tuesday.

The third season, created by the duo Raj & DK, will feature Manoj Bajpayee reprising his role as undercover spy Srikant Tiwari.

The Family Man Season 3 will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide on November 21.

According to the press note shared by the makers, the stakes and dangers in the upcoming season are expected to be higher when actor Manoj Bajpayee comes face-to-face with formidable new adversaries in Jaideep Ahlawat (Rukma) and Nimrat Kaur (Meera).

On the run, Srikant must navigate uncharted territories while confronting threats and enemies from both within and beyond the nation’s borders, added the press note.

Returning this season in pivotal roles are Sharib Hashmi (JK Talpade), Priyamani (Suchitra Tiwari), Ashlesha Thakur (Dhriti Tiwari), Vedant Sinha (Atharv Tiwari), Shreya Dhanwanthary (Zoya), and Gul Panag (Saloni), among others.

Prime Video shared the release date on its Instagram handle today, accompanied by a video in which Manoj Bajpayee announces his arrival in a humorous style.

The Raj & DK expressed their happiness with the “overwhelming response” from the fans to the series over the years.

“Over the years, the love and adulation that audiences have showered on ‘The Family Man’ have been truly overwhelming. We know the audience has been patient, and we wanted to ensure that the wait was worth it, raising the stakes this season with even more high-octane action, a gripping narrative, riveting performances, and an elevated, edge-of-the-seat experience. This season, the hunter becomes the hunted, as Srikant faces a threat unlike any before, in the form of Rukma, one that endangers not just him and his career, but his family too. We’re confident that on November 21, audiences around the world will enjoy the new season with just as much excitement as the previous two seasons and perhaps even more,” said Raj & DK as quoted in the press note.

As for the previous instalments, ‘The Family Man’ Season 2 starred Samantha Nath Prabhu and Manoj Bajpayee in the lead roles. (ANI)

Cyclone Montha Set To Hit Andhra Coast Tonight: IMD

The Cyclonic Storm Montha over the west-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, during the evening or night of Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the IMD, “The Cyclonic Storm Montha over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 6 hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 28th October 2025 about 190 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 270 km south-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 340 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 550 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha).”

“It is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of today, the 28th October, as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph,” it added.

Several coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha, towards which the cyclone is expected to move after landfall, have already experienced heavy rainfall this morning.

Odisha’s Ganjam district reported rough seas, strong winds, and rainfall, while rain lashed Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh due to the cyclone’s impact.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, also received rainfall this morning. As per IMD, moderate rain with light thunderstorm and lightning is very likely to occur at a few places over Chengalpattu, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanniyakumari, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Thiruvallur, Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Viluppuram, Virudhunagar today.

Speaking about Cyclone Montha, Inspector in-charge of Marine Police Station, Aryapalli in Odisha, Bidyabharati Nayak, said, “Fishing boats that had come from Andhra Pradesh were unable to return due to the cyclone. Our Ganjam district collector ordered all of them to be settled in the harbour. We have provided shelter to 30 boats in the harbour at Gopalpur Port. They will remain there as long as the cyclone continues,” she said.

As Cyclone Montha moves closer to the eastern coast, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to take immediate action to safeguard lives and minimise damage in coastal areas.

The Chief Minister instructed district collectors and superintendents of police to “shift residents of vulnerable coastal areas to rehabilitation centres without any delay.”

The CM emphasised the importance of ensuring high-quality food and safe drinking water at rehabilitation centres. He also ordered the appointment of special officers to oversee the functioning of these centres. “Precautions must be taken to prevent the pollution of drinking water”, he said. (ANI)