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Congress will contest the Jharkhand assembly elections in alliance with the JMM and a final decision on seat sharing is expected soon, a top party leader said on Thursday. The first list of Congress candidates will be issued after October 19, AICC general secretary and its Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said. The Jharkhand polls will be held in two phases on November 13 and November 20, while the counting of the votes will take place on November 23. «Like 2019, we will contest assembly elections with our alliance partners in the state. The seat sharing has almost been finalised and a final decision on it is expected soon. We will issue the first list of candidates after October 19, particularly after the state visit by our leader Rahul Gandhi,» said Mir, who arrived in Ranchi earlier in the day.

Taj Hotel Chennai, a Tata group property, has garnered raise on social media for a considerate gesture toward a guest who had to cut short his trip due to the flooding. The downpour has disrupted daily life, forcing schools and colleges to shut down, causing frequent power outages, and creating severe traffic jams on waterlogged streets. D Prasanth Nair shared his experience on the social media platform X, commending the Tata Group-owned Taj Hotels for their customer-first approach. Nair compared his experience at the Taj hotel with that of his colleague, who stayed at another prominent hotel chain. Nair and his colleague had planned to stay in Chennai until October 16. However, with the unpredictable weather worsening, they decided to leave on the evening of October 15 instead. Nair informed the Taj hotel of his early departure and was surprised when the staff chose not to charge him for the unused night, even though they were technically entitled to do so. The hotel cited their understanding of the situation, acknowledging the weather-related difficulties behind his change in plans.

Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the Director of Cricket for JSW Sports. In this new role, Ganguly will oversee all cricketing operations for JSW Sports, including the Delhi Capitals men's IPL and women's WPL teams, as well as the Pretoria Capitals team in South Africa's SA20 League. Ganguly’s association with JSW Sports has grown over the years, having first joined the Delhi Capitals as an advisor in 2019, where he worked alongside head coach Ricky Ponting. He later took on the role of Director of Cricket for the franchise. His long-standing relationship with JSW Sports founder Parth Jindal has been key to this appointment. Parth Jindal expressed his excitement, saying, “Dada has always had a special place at JSW Sports. For us, he is family first and then the cricketing icon that he is. He has one of the sharpest minds in cricket, and we are thrilled to have him lead all our cricketing ventures.”

Congress digital media convenor Dr P Sarin, who raised a banner of protest against the party leadership over its candidate decision for the Palakkad assembly bypoll, was expelled from the primary membership of the party on Thursday. The KPCC made this decision simultaneously as Sarin announced a press conference in Palakkad, declaring his intention to work with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) moving forward. As Sarin was holding the press conference, making damaging allegations against Congress leaders, including opposition leader V D Satheeshan, Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, and Palakkad by-election candidate Rahul Mamkootathil, the KPCC issued a press release announcing the decision of state party chief K Sudhakaran to expel Sarin from the party. The KPCC stated that the action was taken due to Sarin's serious anti-party activities and indiscipline.

Sino-India relations following the opening of another Taiwan de facto consulate in Mumbai. China opposes moves by any countries it has ties with to engage in official contacts with Taiwan, said Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokesperson, at a regular news conference. The Taiwanese government opened its third representative office in India on Wednesday, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported, adding to existing offices in New Delhi and Chennai.

Indian Railways has reduced the time window for advanced booking of seats in passenger trains. According to a circular issued by the Railway Board, time limit for Advance Reservations has been reduced from 120 to 60 days (excluding date of journey). This new diktat will be applicable from November 1 onwards so bookings can be made under the 120-day Advance Reservation Period (ARP) till then. Existing bookings under the earlier ARP will remain intact as well. This reverses a decision taken in March 2015 to increase the window of booking. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express, among others where lower time limits for Advance Reservations are already in place. There will also be no change in the case of limit of 365 days for Foreign Tourists, the order said.

onion prices ahead of the festive season, the government will transport 1,600 tonnes of buffer stock via railways from Maharashtra to Delhi — the first such initiative using rail transport for the kitchen staple. The special rake, dubbed 'Kanda Express', will depart from Maharashtra's Lasalgaon Railway Station and reach Delhi's Kishanganj Railway Station on October 20, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare announced on Thursday. The government expects this bulk movement to help stabilise prices in the Delhi-NCR region, where buffer stock onions are currently being sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg. Currently, retail prices are ruling high up to Rs 75 per kg in different cities. «This rail transport initiative marks a historic first,» Khare said, adding that similar arrangements will be extended to Lucknow, Varanasi and northeastern states including Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has reached a significant milestone, with the Manesar facility crossing the 1 crore cumulative production mark. According to Maruti Suzuki, the vehicle to roll out from the plant was the popular compact SUV, Brezza, underscoring the automaker's growing presence in the SUV segment. The Manesar plant achieved this feat in just 18 years, making it the fastest among Suzuki's global automobile manufacturing facilities to reach the 1 crore production milestone.

Waaree Energies, a leading solar panel manufacturing and installation company, expects rooftop solar (RTS) to contribute at least 30% in its total revenue in the coming years, Amit Paithankar, Chief Executive Officer, Waaree Energies, told ET. “In the next five years, RTS could most definitely be a significant contributor to our revenue, highlighting its importance in our strategic roadmap…We can foresee a minimum of 30% and upwards of RTS share in our revenue pie in the coming years,” Paithankar said. “As we gear up for this massive shift, our PV module manufacturing capacity expansion plans are well on-track and as it is, we have ample infrastructure to meet the foreseen demands,” he said.

The ruling by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, emphasises the importance of judicial integrity. The court stated, «We are of the view that the description of the order and the judge is prima facie contemptuous and amounts to interference in proceedings.» Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, representing Wikipedia, clarified that the platform did not create either the critical page or the discussion section. Previously, on September 6, the court had cautioned the open-source platform that it would block the website in India if it failed to adhere to local laws.

ZEE5, the streaming platform from Zee Entertainment, is prioritising family-friendly content, enhancing its technology, and optimising costs through efficient content production to expand its business while minimising losses, according to a senior executive. This strategy has enabled the platform to increase both advertising and subscription revenue while reducing expenses. It expects the advertising business to pick up once the ad rate correction occurs in the industry and Connected TV (CTV) numbers increase. On the subscription side, it has partnered with Vodafone Idea and is in advanced discussions with Bharti Airtel. In the quarter ending in June, ZEE5 reduced its operating loss by 48% to ₹177 crore, while revenue grew by 16% to ₹223 crore. Over the 12 months ending in March, revenue increased by 24% to ₹919 crore, although the operating loss remained steady at ₹1,105 crore.

Radisson Hotel Group has launched Braille menus in its hotels across South Asia. This initiative aims to make dining easier for guests who are visually impaired. The launch is part of a partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Young Indians. With the introduction of Braille menus at its 125 hotels, Radisson Hotel Group allows visually-impaired guests to explore their meal options and make their own choices. This helps them feel more independent during their dining experience. Additionally, some hotels will use scannable audio QR codes, letting guests listen to the menu at their own pace. “Introducing Braille menus is an important step toward building inclusive dining experiences, ensuring that everyone—regardless of their abilities—feels valued,” Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and Senior Area Vice President for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, said

security arrangements are being put in place for the PM's visit during which he will also address two public gatherings. Dilip Patel, president of the BJP's Kashi region, said, «According to the tentative schedule, PM Modi will arrive at Babatpur Airport around 12:30 PM on October 20. From there, he will head to Shankara Nethralaya on Ring Road to inaugurate the hospital. He will inspect the facility and address around 1,000 attendees invited by the hospital trust.» Following this, the PM will travel by road to the Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Sigra, where he will inaugurate a sports complex. He is expected to launch and lay the foundation for several other projects during his visit. The PM will depart for Delhi around 6 PM after the events.

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee clean-bowled India captain Rohit Sharma, star Virat Kohli was out for a duck as were three other Indian batters and the troubled home side was 34-6 at lunch on the second day of the rain-affected opening cricket test Thursday. Sharma, who won the toss and decided to bat, was out for 2 in the seventh over and Kohli, caught by Glenn Phillips off the bowling of William O'Rourke — who took 3-13 — was out two overs later without adding to India's then-total of nine runs. Sarfaraz Khan also left the field without scoring in the next over with India 10-3 and leaving Sharma possibly questioning his decision to bat first. In between the toss and the start of play, the skies darkened and lights had to be turned on before play could begin at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for residents in parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as a depression over the west-central and southwest Bay of Bengal is moving towards the coast. This weather system is expected to bring heavy rainfall and potentially disrupt daily life in several areas. According to the IMD, the depression moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 22 km/h over the past six hours. As of late last night, October 16, 2024, it was centered over the Bay of Bengal, approximately 80 km east-northeast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and 150 km southeast of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. This places the depression very close to the coastline.

Donald Trump's family project has finally come out in public and its token sale has touched nearly 220 million US dollars in value within the first few hours.

Dunkin’ just unveiled its latest Halloween themed menu which features a delightful array of food specifically designed to celebrate the spooky season. According to USA Today, the highlight of the Halloween themed menu in Dunkin’ is the Potion Macchiato which will combine layers of espresso and milk and will be including a vibrant purple marshmallow flavor. USA Today reported that another exciting addition of Dunkin’s Halloween themed menu is the Spider Specialty Donut which will have a purple frosting and will be topped with a Glazed Chocolate Munchkins Donut Hole completed with chocolate drizzle and white drizzle for spider legs and spider eyes respectively. Also Read: North Korea supporting Russia against Ukraine? Why is USA concerned?

US elections to begin, Donald Trump has landed into a serious problem, as a new poll has suggested that the independents are slowly swaying away from the Republicans and opting for Kamala Harris instead. This is now a serious issue as a nearabout 9% swing has been observed in this incredibly tight poll race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Gallup, which is the polling firm responsible for this latest survey data, has tracked that nearly 49% of the Independents are going for Kamala Harris, while only 45% of the Independents would choose Donald Trump.

Bengaluru: Primus Senior Living has secured $20 million in seed funds from investors led by General Catalyst, said Adarsh Narahari, its founder and managing director. The funding round also saw participation from Nikhil Kamath and Gruhas, the investment firm co-founded by Kamath and Abhijeet Pai. «At Primus, we envision a future where ageing is not seen as a burden but as a cherished phase of life. Our goal is to create a vibrant, inclusive ecosystem where seniors are not only cared for but celebrated-surrounded by love, connection, and purpose,» said Narahari.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has prepared a draft cabinet note seeking to waive the requirement of providing bank guarantees (BGs) for securitisation of deferred spectrum instalments, subject to some conditions, officials said. The move follows a request by Vodafone Idea (Vi) for such a waiver, they said. “The BG waiver for next instalment, however, can only be considered if the telco agrees to pay an additional three months’ amount along with the annual payment,” said one of the officials, who did not wish to be identified. If the draft gets cabinet nod, there won’t be any requirement for BGs. But the telcos will have to pay instalments for 15 months annually, with instalments for three more months acting as a security for next year’s payments. Therefore, while Vi has been calling for waiver of the BG requirement, the DoT proposal, if cleared by the cabinet, may see a higher annual outgo for the telco, which has been desperately trying to emerge from a cash crisis, said experts.