Israel this week shot down an incoming missile from Yemen outside Earth's atmosphere using its Arrow defense system, the first known combat in space. The missile fired by Iran-backed Houthis flew nearly 1,000 miles toward Israel's Eilat before the aerial interception. Israel released a video showing the missile's destruction, saying it was intercepted optimally. The joint Israeli-US Arrow system was specifically designed 25 years ago to intercept long-range ballistic missiles at high altitudes, unlike other adapted systems. Previously used in 2017 against a Syrian missile, this week marked Arrow's first use for its intended purpose of stopping an attack in space. The successful interception underscores missile defenses against threats from Iran's allies like the Yemeni Houthis.

On Tuesday, November 7, Israel granted Gaza City civilians a 4-hour window from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm local time to evacuate the now-encircled city before a possible ground assault. Gaza residents say Israeli tanks have been moving mostly at night, with Israeli forces largely relying on air and artillery strikes to clear a path for their ground advance. The city is home to a third of the enclave's 2.3 million people. Israel says its forces have surrounded Gaza City in the month-long campaign against Hamas after the group's October 7 multi-front attack killed over 1,400 Israelis. Since Israel began strikes, over 10,000 Palestinians have died, about 40 percent of them children according to health officials in Gaza. Israel told residents to flee south through Wadi Gaza wetlands during the limited opening. Over 20 more Palestinians died in overnight strikes on southern Gaza cities. 

NATO allies condemned Russia's withdrawal from the key post-Cold War Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty limiting military hardware deployments. NATO said the withdrawal amid Russia's war on Ukraine undermines security, so members intend to suspend treaty operations as long as needed. Earlier, Russia exited the 1990 pact it blamed the U.S. for undermining by expanding NATO. The treaty capped key conventional arms between the Atlantic and Urals to build trust. Russia's move enables larger force deployments near NATO borders, ending an arms control treaty amid severe tensions over Ukraine. NATO affirmed full support from all allies to suspend the unraveling pact after Russia's withdrawal.

Data from the Ministry of External Affairs shows over 3 crore Indians are currently living overseas, with 1.34 crore being NRIs and 1.86 crore being PIOs (Person of Indian Origin). The UAE hosts the maximum number of NRIs at 34 lakh, followed by 26 lakh in Saudi Arabia and 12.8 lakh in the US. For PIOs, the US leads with 31.8 lakh, followed by Malaysia and Myanmar. The data reveals the preferred destination countries for Indians settling abroad or going for vacations, as per Tourism Ministry figures showing over 2 crore chose international travel. The US also sees a five-fold rise in illegal Indian immigrants caught yearly, pointing to its draw despite risks.

The Supreme Court has clarified that its directions regulating firecrackers, including the ban on crackers containing barium salts, are applicable not just in Delhi-NCR but across India. Hearing a plea seeking Rajasthan's compliance, the SC said its previous orders on curbing air and noise pollution bind all states. It directed Rajasthan to specifically take note of the orders banning barium and other chemicals in firecrackers. The SC bench reiterated that no fresh directions are needed as its orders apply nationwide, not just in Delhi-NCR. In a separate hearing on Delhi's air pollution crisis, the SC ordered UP, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi to ensure stubble burning is stopped to control rising pollution levels.

The much-awaited trailer for Vicky Kaushal's upcoming film 'Sam Bahadur' was released on Tuesday. The period film sees Vicky transform into the charismatic war hero Sam Manekshaw, complete with his distinctive moustache. It also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh as Indira Gandhi and Sanya Malhotra as Manekshaw's wife. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the trailer shows Vicky embodying India's first Field Marshal as he interacts with troops and leaders amidst the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film, produced by RSVP Movies, is set to hit theaters on December 1. It will clash with Ranbir Kapoor-starrer 'Animal' at the box office. 'Sam Bahadur' brings to screen the story of Manekshaw's dedicated service to the Indian Army and the nation.

The Centre has issued an advisory to social media platforms highlighting legal provisions after a viral Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video raised concerns over AI-enabled disinformation. It cited Section 66D of the IT Act which provides for up to 3 years jail and Rs 1 lakh fine for "cheating by personation using computer resource". The move comes after a doctored video of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel's face replaced by Mandanna's went viral. Mandanna said such deepfakes are "extremely scary". The government stated it is committed to ensuring safety and trust online under the new IT rules which make removing misinformation mandatory.

Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal has quashed the sports minister's decision to sack the country's cricket board and restored the expelled officials pending a full hearing. The court accepted a petition by Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva challenging minister Roshan Ranasinghe's move to dismiss the board on Monday and appoint an interim committee headed by Arjuna Ranatunga. The restoration is for two weeks until the next court hearing. Ranasinghe's action followed Sri Lanka's defeat at the World Cup. He has long accused the wealthy board of widespread corruption and wanted Ranatunga to clean it up. Silva is now due to return to work after securing an order preventing the interim committee from continuing.

Renowned Indian-Canadian poet Rupi Kaur has declined an invitation to celebrate Diwali at the White House in solidarity with Palestine. In a strongly-worded statement, Kaur criticized the Biden administration for funding Israel's bombing of Gaza which she called a "genocide against Palestinians". She said attending would whitewash the administration's actions which don't align with the spirit of Diwali. Kaur urged the South Asian diaspora to hold the US accountable and call for justice rather than be tokenized by photo-ops. She said the privilege lost by speaking up is nothing compared to what Palestinians lose daily as the US rejects ceasefire. (Image Courtesy: Rupi Kaur on Facebook)

The Aligarh Municipal Corporation has unanimously passed a proposal to rename the Uttar Pradesh city to Harigarh. If approved by the state government, it will join the growing list of places renamed under BJP rule, including Allahabad to Prayagraj and Faizabad district to Ayodhya. Aligarh mayor Prashant Singhal said the longstanding demand to rename Aligarh was unanimously supported by all councillors in a meeting. The proposal will now be sent to the state administration. In 2019, CM Yogi Adityanath indicated his government will continue renaming places, having already changed names like Mughal Sarai to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Nagar. The move comes after previous demands by BJP members to rename other UP cities like Agra and Muzaffarnagar.