Breaking News: October 25, 2020 | Highlights

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday announced a state of alarm in an attempt to restrict the spread of coronavirus, days after Spain became the first European Union state to pass the grim one-million-case mark.

A state of alarm grants the government special powers to limit the movement of citizens.

The state of alarm, effective from Sunday, has an original duration of 15 days. But the Prime Minister said his government aims to keep it in effect until May 9, 2021 -- a move needs the support of a majority in Spain's 350-seat Congress, Xinhua reported.

The state of alarm was approved in an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday morning after 11 out of Spain's 17 Autonomous Communities had requested it. It will limit movements from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. for all regions of Spain except the Canary Islands.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday announced new measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Conte said that pubs, bars, restaurants, and ice cream shops must shut down at 6 p.m.

The new measures will go into effect from Sunday midnight through November 24, the Premier explained during a nationally televised press conference.

Delhi recorded as many as 4,136 fresh coronavirus cases. With this, the tally of coronavirus cases in the state has mounted to over 3.56 lakh on Sunday, while the death toll mounted to 6,258. READ MORE

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries is rolling back salary cuts for the employees of its hydrocarbons division and is also giving out performance bonus that had been deferred after business was hit by coronavirus lockdown. READ MORE

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark T Esper will arrive here on Monday for the third edition of the two-plus-two ministerial dialogue which is taking place just a week ahead of the American presidential election and in the midst of India's festering border row with China.

The two-plus-two dialogue will be held on Tuesday. The Indian side at the talks will be represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Pakistan could be the next country on the journey to a polio-free world, the World Health Organisation has said. Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 on the Ritcher scale occurred today at 6.49 pm in Palghar, Maharashtra, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) has informed.

Dussehra celebrations in Punjab and Haryana were subdued on Sunday with no big functions being held in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Celebrations at various places in the two states including Mohali, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ambala, Yamunanagar and Panchkula were low key.

Places where functions were held witnessed small gatherings.

Effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran were set on fire at different places in the two states, marking the triumph of good over evil.
Organisers opted for smaller effigies this year.

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Sunday but is likely to improve marginally on October 26, government agencies said.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said he has tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.

Ladakh's Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, experienced the season's first snowfall on Sunday. It started snowing in Drass and its adjoining areas, including Zojilla pass and Mina-Marg along the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway, in the morning and so far two to four inches of snow has accumulated on the ground, officials said.
           
However, the traffic on the Srinagar-Leh national highway was progressing smoothly till last reports were received.

A bomb blast hit the capital city of Pakistan's Balochistan province on Sunday, leaving at least three people dead and injuring seven others. The blast took place in a market in Hazarganji area of Quetta, the provincial capital of southwest Balochistan province.

The blast came as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a grand alliance of Pakistan’s major Opposition parties, held its third anti-government rally at the Ayub Ground in Quetta to press for Prime Minister Imran Khan's ouster.

The rally site is, however, 35 to 40 minutes away from the blast site.

The Balochistan government had appealed to the PDM to postpone the public meeting in view of security threats.

A researcher from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H) has developed encapsulated electrospun polyurethane (PU) nanofibrous bags to prevent seed storage losses.

The COVID-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 6,882 on Sunday with 28 more fatalities, while 2,052 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 4,70,270, an official said.

Eight Indo-Canadians were elected to the 87-member Assembly of Canada's British Columbia province. There were 27 Indian-origin candidates in the fray in the elections held on Saturday.

All eight winners belong to the ruling New Democratic Party which secured an absolute majority with 55 seats in the 87-member House.

Three of the Indo-Canadian winners are women.

Out of 355 candidates contesting in Madhya Pradesh bypolls, 63 (18 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to a report by poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Eleven per cent or 39 candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, the report said. Serious criminal cases are non-bailable offences with over five years of imprisonment.

Among the major parties, 14 (50 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from the Congress, 12 (43 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from the BJP have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, the poll rights group said.

Ladakh recorded three more coronavirus-related fatalities and 73 new cases, taking the death toll to 71 and infection tally to 5,913, officials said on Sunday.
All the three deaths were reported from Leh during the past 24 hours, raising the toll in the district to 33, while rest of the 38 fatalities had taken place in Kargil district, they said. Of the new cases, the officials said 65 people tested positive in Leh and eight others in Kargil.

Five members of a family died on the spot and one person was injured when the roof of their house collapsed in Telangana on Sunday, police said. Shakir Hussain, Additional Superintendent of Police, Nagarkurool, said the rain-soaked mud roof of the house collapsed at around 1 am, resulting in the instantaneous death of three women and two girls in Nagarkurool district's Buddaram village.

Telangana reported 978 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 2,31,252, while four more deaths pushed the toll to 1,307, the state government said on Sunday. 

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for a maximum of 185 cases, followed by Rangareddy (89) and Medchal Malkajgiri (86) districts, it said in a bulletin, providing data as of 8 pm on October 24. A total of 19,465 people were undergoing treatment and 27,055 samples were tested on October 24, the bulletin said.

A woman, who was allegedly upset due to her husband's illicit relationship with another woman, committed suicide by jumping into the Ramganga river in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Sunday.

Pan Devi (35), a resident of Kutlupur village in the Mirzapur area, was missing since Friday and her body was found in the river on Saturday after the locals spotted her slippers and a torch on the river bank, ASP (Rural) Aparna Gautam said.

On 31st October, we lost former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I respectfully offer tributes to her, says PM Narendra Modi during Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Modi asked the youth of the country to learn marshal arts. He also talked about local sports like Malkham making global headlines. 

PM Modi in Mann ki Baat address says world taking note of India's products, cites example of rising popularity of Khadi

We must remember soldiers protecting our borders while celebrating festivals, light a 'diya' for them in your homes, says PM Modi

This time, amid the enthusiasm of festival, when you go shopping make sure to remember your resolve of 'vocal for local.' When purchasing goods from market give priority to local products: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Dussehra is also a festival of victory of patience over crises. Today, all of you are living with great restraint, celebrating festivals with modesty. Therefore, in the COVID-19 battle, we are fighting, victory is certain: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation in the 70th edition of his Mann ki Baat programme:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. Be vocal for local during this festive season, says PM Modi

In a significant achievement, India's total recoveries have crossed the landmark milestone of 70 lakhs. The top 4 states account for more than half of the total recovered cases. About 44% active caseload of the country is contributed by them, says Ministry of Health

We witnessed anti-CAA protests which created tension in the country. Before it could be discussed further, the focus shifted on Corona this year. So, communal flare in minds of few people stayed in their minds only. Corona overshadowed all other topics, says RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Watch Swami Ramdev Live on India TV: Yoga to fight coronavirus

Delhi: Air Quality Index is at 422 in Bawana, 423 in Mundka and 416 in Jahangirpuri; all three in 'severe' category as per Delhi Pollution Control Committee data.

In a significant achievement, India's total recoveries have crossed the landmark milestone of 70 lakhs. The top 4 states account for more than half of the total recovered cases. About 44% active caseload of the country is contributed by them: Ministry of Health