Today’s Big StoriesAhead of local council polls, J&K politicians freed from house arrest; Ajit Doval apprises MBS about Kashmir situation
Nearly two months after being put under house arrest, around a dozen of the top Opposition leaders from Jammu and Kashmir were allowed to move out of their homes on Wednesday to resume political activities. This comes just two days ahead of the first Block Development Council elections in the state, scheduled for October 4.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval is said to have paid a two-day "quiet visit" to Saudi Arabia during which he apprised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman about the situation in J&K. The Saudi side, however, emphasised on the need for de-escalation of tension between India and Pakistan in the matter.Rural India and its villages have declared themselves open defecation-free, says PM Modi on Gandhi Jayanti
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India’s rural areas and villages had declared themselves open defecation-free now, adding that the country's stature is on the rise in the world. The announcement came at an event held to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In a column for ‘The New York Times’, Modi proposed the ‘Einstein Challenge’ to ensure that Bapu’s ideals of Bapu are remembered by future generations. Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel announced that single-use plastic will not be allowed on the premises of historical monuments and within 100m of them.In Other NewsMuch-awaited: Aaditya Thackeray is set to file nomination for the Worli Assembly seat today. The 29-year old is the first member from the Thackeray family to enter the electoral fray. He will be accompanied by his father and party chief Uddhav Thackeray and most of the top Sena leaders following which he will hold a roadshow.Haryana Cong on boil: After Congress released its list of 84 candidates for the Haryana Assembly polls, several disgruntled leaders, including PCC chief Ashok Talwar, staged a protest outside the doorstep of party president Sonia Gandhi alleging corruption in the distribution of tickets.Paying the price: From Kathmandu to Colombo, it's a kitchen nightmare: Onion prices have gone crazy. That's because India, the world's biggest seller of the Asian diet staple, has banned exports after extended monsoon downpours delayed harvests and supplies shrivelled.Once again: Just weeks after the UK Supreme Court ruled Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend the parliament as unlawful, the British PM is once against planning to halt sessions from October 8 to 14 for “Queen Elizabeth II to outline the government's new legislative program".Protests continue: With five dead in the past 24 hours, protests have been multiplying across Iraq on Wednesday. The demonstrations are the first major challenge to Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, who formed his government a year ago this month.Rohit special: Rohit Sharma scored a century in his first innings as a Test opener as India were 202-0 against South Africa before rain washed out the final session of Day 1 of the first Test in Vizag on Wednesday (October 2).On Our SpecialsDealing with shit: When 34-year-old Mursida Khatun, a resident of Mohammadpur Badal village in Bihar, constructed a toilet in her home in 2016, she hoped it would solve her problems. The family of six had gotten a twin pit toilet made for themselves under the government’s flagship scheme on sanitation. However, four years later, it has dumped an unprecedented economic burden on Mursida. Aditya Sharma reports on the problems faced by government's Swachh Bharat Mission.Joker movie review: “I am waiting for the punchline," says TV host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) to his unusual guest, who insists to be called Joker (Joaquin Phoenix). To which, Joker simply shrugs and replies, “It’s not a joke." A possible murder scene was just described on Murray’s late night show! We might know the clown sitting in front of us hereafter, but he isn’t the Joker yet. This is his origin story which tries to justify Joker’s inner violence with most obvious answers. Had there not been a terrific actor at the helm of affairs, these reasons might have crossed us unnoticed. Read Rohit Vats' review of the Joker. On Reel
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