Delhi Chokes on Deepavali: Air Quality Plummets to ‘Severe’ Levels
Delhi’s air quality took a dramatic turn for the worse on Monday, October 20, 2025, the afternoon of Deepavali, as pollution levels at 31 out of 38 monitoring stations registered in the ‘very poor’ category. Three stations—Anand Vihar (402), Wazirpur (423), and Ashok Vihar (414)—even plunged into the ‘severe’ category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s SAMEER app, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 334 at noon, a slight improvement from 339 at 9 a.m. However, forecasts suggest a more widespread deterioration into the ‘severe’ category for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 21 and 22, 2025.
Trump Issues ‘Massive Tariffs’ Warning to India Over Russian Oil Imports
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, October 19, 2025, declared that India would face “massive tariffs” if it continued to purchase oil from Russia. Trump reiterated an earlier claim that he had received assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India would cease its Russian oil imports, adding firmly, “they (India) don’t want to do that.”
Bihar Assembly Elections: RJD Unveils 143 Candidates, Including 24 Women
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) announced its full list of 143 candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly election on Monday, October 20, 2025. This roster includes 24 women and 16 Muslim candidates. Notably, five of the RJD’s candidates are set to compete directly against nominees from other constituents of the INDIA bloc. The announcement, made just hours before the nomination deadline for the second and final phase, dispelled rumors that the RJD might contest the Kutumba seat, which is currently held by state Congress president Rajesh Kumar Ram, a move that would have created a significant intra-alliance conflict.
23 Indian Sailors Rescued from Burning LPG Tanker Off Yemen Coast
A dramatic rescue operation successfully saved 23 Indian crew members from the MV Falcon, an LPG tanker that caught fire and was left adrift off the Yemen coast after an explosion. The Cameroon-flagged vessel, fully loaded with liquefied petroleum gas and en route to Djibouti, experienced the blast on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The rescued crew members have been safely transferred to the Djiboutian Coast Guard.
Global Web Outage: Amazon AWS Experiences Widespread Disruption
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s prominent cloud services division, suffered a major global outage on Monday, October 20, 2025. This disruption led to widespread connectivity issues for numerous companies worldwide and interrupted services for popular websites and applications, including gaming giant Fortnite and social media platform Snapchat.
Congress Releases Another Six Candidates for Bihar Polls, Total Now 60
The Congress party announced an additional six candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections on Monday, October 20, 2025, bringing their total declared candidates to 60. This latest list was released after midnight, highlighting the ongoing challenges in finalizing a formal seat-sharing agreement within the Mahagathbandhan alliance, as the Congress and RJD, its main constituents, continue to struggle to reach a mutual understanding.
JMM Opts Out of Bihar Polls, Citing ‘Political Conspiracy’ by Allies
Jharkhand’s ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) declared on Monday, October 20, 2025, that it would not participate in the Assembly elections in neighboring Bihar. The party attributed this decision to a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by its allies, the RJD and Congress, claiming it was deprived of appropriate seats as part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance.
Louvre Jewel Heist: French Government Calls Incident ‘Deplorable’
A audacious jewelry heist at Paris’ world-renowned Louvre Museum has left the French government reeling. Justice Minister Gerard Darmanin described the incident as “deplorable” on Monday, October 20, 2025, while opposition politicians lambasted the government, labeling the robbery a “national humiliation.” Thieves reportedly broke into the museum on Sunday, October 19, using a crane to shatter an upstairs window, then made off with priceless items from the French crown jewels collection before escaping on motorbikes.
Zelenskyy Ready to Join Putin-Trump Summit in Budapest, If Invited
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his willingness to attend a summit in Hungary with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, should he receive an invitation. Trump and Putin have indicated they plan to meet in the Hungarian capital, potentially within weeks, as the U.S. leader continues his efforts to broker a peace agreement to end the three-and-a-half-year conflict triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion.