Hundreds gathered in Trafalgar Square on Sunday for London's Diwali festival. The celebrations, featuring performances from Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities, were hailed by mayor Sadiq Khan as the biggest outside India. Visitors browsed market stalls and enjoyed vegan and vegetarian food. Brands like TRS, Badshah, and Remitly set up activities, with some creating experiences transporting people to India's streets. Overall, the festival of lights showcased London's diverse communities and offered a taste of Indian culture through food, performance, and activities.

UK Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, calls for enhanced collaboration between the UK and India in addressing common climate goals. Speaking at the India Global Forum’s Diwali Reception, Coutinho highlights the valuable partnership, emphasizing shared ambitions in energy and climate change. The event, attended by eminent figures, celebrates the robust UK-India relationship. High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, outlines the potential for impactful UK-India partnerships in achieving global Net Zero targets. The Diwali event sets the stage for future collaborations and explores the vast potential in leveraging technology for positive change. [ photo: Claire Coutinho/X ]

Rumors circulate that Salman Khan's upcoming film, 'Tiger 3,' is reportedly banned in Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, echoing the fate of Akshay Kumar's 'Samrat Prithviraj.' Speculations point to the portrayal of Islamic countries and characters in a negative light as the reason behind the alleged ban. While unconfirmed, fans speculate on social media, linking the ban to Katrina Kaif's towel scene. 'Tiger 3' is anticipated to set new Diwali box office records upon its release.

Bombay High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, expressing concerns over critical air pollution, slashes Diwali cracker time from 3 to 2 hours, urging Mumbai to avoid becoming like Delhi. The bench cites the city's pollution situation, amending the initial 7 pm to 10 pm timeframe to 8 pm to 10 pm. While acknowledging AQI improvement after recent rains, the court bans debris transport till November 19 and tasks municipal corporations to decide post that based on AQI. An expert committee is formed to address pollution sources. Further hearings on rising air pollution are scheduled for December 11. [ Representative Image ]

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has swiftly suspended Sri Lanka Cricket's membership, citing serious breaches in autonomy and resistance to government interference in cricket governance. The ICC Board made this decision, with the conditions of the suspension to be determined later. Sri Lanka's sports minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, had recently accused the cricket board of widespread corruption, leading to the sacking of elected members. Ranasinghe appointed an interim committee, chaired by former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, to address corruption and enhance accountability. The appeal court temporarily restored the original board, and Ranasinghe stands firm on cleaning up the system.          

During the '2+2' ministerial meeting, India strongly conveyed its serious concerns to the US regarding the escalating activities of pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra emphasized India's core security concerns, pointing to recent videos. The American delegation, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, acknowledged India's apprehensions. Tensions between India and Canada have risen since Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September. India temporarily halted visa issuance to Canadians, leading Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats and family members, though some visa services have resumed.          

Shah Rukh Khan treats fans to fresh Dunki posters on Diwali, building anticipation for the upcoming film directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The actor's social media post expresses the essence of celebrating with family and hints at the unique storyline. The #DunkiDrop1 teaser, released earlier, introduces a heartwarming tale of four friends navigating life-changing journeys. Starring Taapsee Pannu alongside Shah Rukh, Dunki promises a blend of love, friendship, and real-life experiences. The film is set for a Christmas release in cinemas worldwide. [ photo courtesy: iamsrk/X ]

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh symbolically handed over World War II-era items recovered in Assam to visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The items included parts of a parachute, uniform and airplane belonging to missing US air force personnel who crashed in northeast India while supplying Chinese troops over the Himalayas. The exchange was part of the US DPAA mission to find remains of over 81,800 service members still missing from WWII to Iraq. Austin thanked India for aiding the agency's work since 1978. The items will help provide closure to families of lost US soldiers. Their return highlights cooperation on accounting for all troops no matter how long it takes.

For the first time, Israel's advanced Arrow 3 air defense system successfully intercepted an incoming missile headed toward Eilat over the Red Sea. The surface-to-surface missile was apparently fired from Yemen. The Arrow 3 interceptor missile took out the threat, marking the first operational use of the system.In recent weeks, other incoming missiles aimed at Israel were intercepted using the predecessor to the Arrow 3 system, the Arrow 2 missile. One of those interceptions targeted a Houthi ballistic missile fired from Yemen, while the other destroyed a long-range rocket launched from Gaza. Both of those threats were eliminated by the older generation Arrow 2 defense system prior to this first successful operational use of the more advanced Arrow 3. Deployed in 2017, Arrow 3 is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. The successful maiden operational interception demonstrates the potency of Israel's tiered air defenses against threats from multiple regional adversaries.

Students at IIT Bombay have filed a police complaint against a professor and guest speaker for allegedly glorifying Palestinian terrorists during a virtual lecture. The November 6th talk was part of a course by Prof. Sharmistha Saha who had invited speaker Sudhanva Deshpande. In their complaint, students claimed Deshpande defended armed rebellion and glorified terrorists Zakaria Zubeidi and Ghassan Kanafani. Zubeidi is linked to a group designated a terror entity by many governments. Students expressed concern about impressions on young minds and security risks from advocating terror-linked ideologies. They appealed for a police probe into the matter. The lecture has sparked controversy amid accusations of supporting figures associated with violent attacks.