 "FirstUp: PM Modi to campaign in Jharkhand, Indonesia-Russia joint naval drills.... Top news today")
Colourful lights decked up buildings and diyas (earthen lamps) dotted houses as people across India celebrated Diwali enthusiastically over the weekend.
As the vibrant celebration draws to a close, with many resuming work, here’s a brief overview of today’s big headlines.
PM Modi’s two rallies in Jharkhand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Jharkhand on November 4 and address two rallies at Chaibasa and Garhwa.
This comes after Home Minister Amit Shah addressed three rallies in Dhalbhumgarh, Barkatha and Simaria on Sunday.
The prime minister and the home minister will kick off the election campaign in the eastern state.
The Jharkhand assembly polls will be held in two phases – November 13 and November 20. Counting of votes will take place on November 23.
Indonesia, Russia’s first joint naval drills
Indonesia and Russia will hold their first joint naval drills from November 4 to 8, as the Southeast Asian archipelago’s newly inaugurated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto seeks to boost ties with Moscow.
The drills would take place in the Java Sea near a naval base in Surabaya.
Russia will send three corvette-class warships, a medium tanker ship, a military helicopter, and a tugboat.
Maiden session of J&K Assembly
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s first session is scheduled to begin today, with the election of the Speaker and the Lieutenant Governor’s address to the House.
Obituary references for former legislators who passed away since the last session of the erstwhile J&K Assembly will be held on November 5.
Discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the LG’s address will be held on November 6 and 7 while the session will conclude on November 8 with the Discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the LG’s address and the reply thereto.
BJP to stage protest amid Waqf row
Opposition BJP has announced a state-wide protest on November 4, demanding the resignation of Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan over allegations of farmers’ land being transferred to the waqf board.
The call for protest stems from claims that authorities are being pressured to amend land records across districts, allegedly under government influence.
The protest would be staged in front of the offices of Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and tahsildars of all the taluks along with affected farmers, as per BJP State President BY Vijayendra.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWitnesses’ statements to be recorded against ex-WFI chief
A Delhi court will resume on November 4 recording the statements of witnesses against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a criminal case filed against him by female wrestlers.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot posted the matter for further proceedings after recording the statement of one of the witnesses on October 19. The court on May 21 framed the charges of sexual harassment and using force to outrage women’s modesty against Singh.
The BJP leader had pleaded not guilty before the court and claimed trial. The magistrate had also framed the charge of criminal intimidation against Singh. The court had further framed the charge of criminal intimidation against co-accused and former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the case.
Boeing union to vote for wage hike offer
Striking Boeing workers will vote on Monday on an improved contract offer that includes a 38 per cent pay rise over four years, a larger signing bonus and carries the endorsement of their union, which told members it had extracted all it could from the planemaker.
The latest offer, presented on Thursday (October 31), comes at a critical moment for Boeing, which this week announced it would raise up to $24.3 billion to shore up its battered finances as a seven-week strike by more than 33,000 US West Coast factory workers worsens its cash burn.
Members rejected two earlier offers from Boeing.
Supreme Court opens after Diwali vacation
The Supreme Court will resume its sitting on Monday after the Diwali holidays which commenced on October 28.
A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah would hear a divorce plea of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and wife Payal Abdullah. In August, the SC had asked the National Conference leader and his estranged wife to appear for mediation for exploring the possibility of a settlement.
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