London's iconic Tower Bridge was stuck open for over 30 minutes on Thursday afternoon, leading to major traffic disruptions in the city center. Around 1:15pm, the bridge failed to close after allowing a sailboat to pass below on the River Thames. With the bridge unable to lower, traffic was brought to a standstill. Large crowds gathered to watch the mechanical failure, cheering when the bridge finally closed after an extended wait. The vital passageway in central London was cut off while engineers worked to resolve the technical malfunction. The problem caused significant inconvenience before being fixed.

The British Museum has appealed to the public to assist in recovering approximately 2,000 ancient treasures that went missing from its collection. Most of the stolen items are Greek and Roman gems and jewelry, with some dating back to the Late Bronze Age. The loss was uncovered last month, resulting in a staff dismissal and police investigation. While 60 objects have been returned and 300 more are expected soon, many priceless artifacts remain missing. The museum has published images of the missing objects online in hopes the public can help identify and recover these important historical treasures. An international panel of experts will also aid the recovery effort. (Image Courtesy: British Museum)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, discussing ways to boost bilateral ties amid the India-Canada row over Nijjar's killing. Blinken said he looked forward to talks with Jaishankar after recent meetings at G20 and UNGA. Though agendas were undisclosed, the diplomatic crisis is likely to have featured prominently. The US has urged India to cooperate in Canada's probe into the separatist's murder that PM Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in. The two leaders did not take any questions from the media.

Indian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy, during the second Republican presidential debate, advocated ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants in the US. He revived a 2015 proposal from then-candidate Donald Trump. Ramaswamy, a second-generation Indian-American, argued that children of undocumented immigrants born in the US should not be granted citizenship as their parents "broke the law" to be in the country. He also supported measures like militarizing the southern border and ending foreign aid to Mexico and Central America. Ramaswamy's proposals have garnered attention in the crowded primary field, with 28% of respondents in a poll saying he performed the best.

India ranks 5th on the medals tally with 6 gold, 8 silver, and 11 bronze medals at the end of Day 5. Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema, and Shiva Narwal clinched gold in the men's 10m air pistol team event, extending the gold rush for India on Thursday. Roshibina Devi added a silver in wushu, while Anush Agarwalla won a historic dressage bronze. The medal spree is likely to continue on Friday as the men's doubles tennis duo of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni feature in the finals. Squash teams also eye finals while India's athletics contingent finally begins its Asian Games 2023 campaign. 

A shocking incident occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad where a woman, Alka Pathak, lost Rs 18 lakh kept in a bank locker due to termite infestation. Pathak had saved the money for her daughter's wedding and stored the cash at Bank of Baroda's Ashiana branch locker last October. Recently, when bank staff asked her to renew the locker agreement, she was devastated to find termites had destroyed the entire cash saved for her daughter's marriage plans. It remains unclear if Pathak will receive compensation for her wedding savings destroyed by the termites in violation of cash storage norms.

A mob tried to attack Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh's unoccupied ancestral residence on the outskirts of Imphal amid ongoing violence, despite security clampdown. Forces successfully pushed back the mob after firing tear gas shells. The CM resides in a separate well-guarded official home. The attack attempt followed overnight student protests regarding two teen-age students' killings, and mob vandalism of a Deputy Commissioner's office. To disperse the ancestral home attackers, security forces fired rounds in the air, cut off electricity to reduce visibility, and installed more barricades. 

Kamal Menghrajani, an Indian-American oncologist, is among 15 “remarkably gifted, passionate, and accomplished” individuals selected for the 2023-2024 White House Fellows program. Menghrajani, who treats leukaemia patients, will spend a year working closely with top administration officials. The New Yorker is the only Indian American picked for the prestigious fellowship. She will serve at the Office of Science and Technology Policy on the Cancer Moonshot and Health Outcomes teams. Menghrajani has spearheaded global health equity efforts and cancer research focused on early diagnosis. Her appointment highlights the success of Indian-American physicians at the highest levels of public service.

An NIA chargesheet reveals slain Khalistani hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar and gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh Dalla enticed youth into terror activities by promising Canadian visas, jobs and money. Both Canada-based Nijjar and Dalla, who headed the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, formed a terror gang targeting minority faiths to spread fear in Punjab, per the chargesheet. Investigations found they radicalized vulnerable youth motivated by the prospect of a better life in Canada. Sources say struggling Indian students are particularly prone to exploitation by pro-Khalistan factions in Canadian gurdwaras. The chargesheet exposes how dreams of immigration were weaponized to recruit youth for terror.

The US Ambassador to India announced the successful processing of one million visa applications for Indians this year, pledging to continue addressing the visa backlog. The US Embassy in India celebrated this achievement on Twitter, highlighting their commitment to granting more Indians the opportunity to travel to the United States. US Ambassador Eric Garcetti explained that changes in processes and additional resources contributed to this milestone. Earlier, it was reported that the US issued over 90,000 student visas to Indians this summer, with one in four worldwide student visas going to Indian applicants. Last year, a record 125,000 US student visas were issued to Indians.