Latest news today (November 3): Presenting FE’s Breaking News today. We will keep you updated on all major news, views and much more throughout the day.
ED alleges Mahadev App promoters gave Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh CM
The Enforcement Directorate Friday claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a ‘cash courier’ have led to “startling allegations” that Mahadev betting app promoters have paid about Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel so far, and that “these are subject matter of investigation”. (PTI)
7 injured, 11 missing in blast at pharma factory in Maharashtra’s Raigad
In the Raigad district of Maharashtra, a pharmaceutical company experienced an explosion on Friday that resulted in a fire that left seven people injured and eleven more missing, according to authorities. At approximately 10.30 am, there was a blast at Blue Jet Healthcare Company located in the Mahad MIDC area. According to him, it started a fire that caused chemical barrels stored on the property to blow up.
New Delhi blanketed by toxic haze, world’s most polluted city again
New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the “severe” category. New Delhi again topped a real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities compiled by Swiss group IQAir, which put the Indian capital’s AQI at 640 in the “hazardous” category on Friday, followed by 335 in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Regional officials said a seasonal combination of lower temperatures, a lack of wind and crop stubble burning in neighbouring farm states had caused a spike in air pollutants. (reuters)
World food price index falls in October
The United Nations food agency’s world price index fell in October to its lowest level in more than two years, driven by declines in sugar, cereals, vegetable oils and meat. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 120.6 points in October, down from 121.3 for the previous month, the agency said in a report on Friday. The October reading was the lowest since March 2021. (Reuters)
Titan beats Q2 profit view on growing jewelery demand
Jeweler and watch maker Titan Company on Friday beat second-quarter earnings expectations, aided by the strong demand for its gold jewelery brands and growth in online sales. Titan, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corp, said its profit for the second quarter ended Sept. 30 was 9.40 billion rupees ($113 million), beating analysts’ average expectation of 8.47 billion rupees per LSEG data. (Reuters)
Noida rave case: Bigg Boss OTT’s Elvish Yadav, 5 others booked
The Noida Police has arrested five people for the alleged use of snake venom at a rave party besides booking Bigg Boss winner Elvish Yadav in the case, officials said on Friday. Nine snakes were also rescued from the possession of the arrestees, who had landed at a banquet hall in Sector 51 on Thursday for the party, which was a trap laid by an animal rights group — People for Animals (PFA)– the officials said. (Read More)
Blinken arrives in Israel
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reached Israel. This is his second visit to the strife-torn region. A BBC report says that Blinken’s trip is aimed to minimise harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Sam Bankman-Fried convicted in FTX fraud
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on Thursday of stealing from customers of his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange in one of the biggest financial frauds on record, a verdict that cemented the 31-year-old former billionaire’s fall from grace. A 12-member jury in Manhattan federal court convicted Bankman-Fried on all seven counts he faced after a monthlong trial in which prosecutors made the case that he looted $8 billion from the exchange’s users out of sheer greed. The verdict came just shy of one year after FTX filed for bankruptcy in a swift corporate meltdown that shocked financial markets and erased his estimated $26 billion personal fortune. (Reuters)
Delhi’s air quality worsens
Air quality in various parts of Delhi plummeted into the ‘severe’ category on Friday morning, with Mundka registering the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) at 498, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A thick haze shrouded the capital’s skyline as a result in the morning. In response to the deteriorating air quality, the Delhi government ordered the closure of all government and private primary schools for the next two days. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the closures on his official account. He wrote, “In light of the rising pollution levels, all government and private primary schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 2 days.” (Read More)
Israel says it encircles Gaza City; US to urge for ‘localised’ humanitarian pauses
Israel said it had surrounded the Gaza Strip’s biggest city and the focus of its drive to annihilate Hamas, as the United States was set to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to pauses the fighting to allow aid into the Palestinian enclave. (Reuters)
Police complaint lodged against CAB, online ticket booking portal over alleged black marketing of World Cup cricket tickets
Kolkata Police has summoned officials of the Cricket Association of Bengal and the online ticket booking portal following a complaint lodged alleging black marketing of tickets for Sunday’s ICC World Cup match between India and South Africa, an officer said. (PTI)
ED searches in Rajasthan
Enforcement Directorate searches underway at 25 locations across Rajasthan in the Jal Jeevan Mission case. Visuals from the residence of IAS officer Subodh Agarwal and IRS officer Rolee Agarwal in Jaipur, where a search is ongoing. (ANI)
