Oct 14, 2026
According to the India Meteorological Department, rain-free weather is expected in West Bengal during Durga Puja. Light to moderate rain may occur until October 17 in Kolkata and surrounding districts. The festival starts on October 18 and continues until October 22 with dry conditions. North Bengal could experience light rain on the first day but will have dry weather afterward.
The Indian government is expected to surpass its budgeted disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for FY27. A significant contributor will be the strategic sale of IDBI Bank, which is valued at over Rs 52,878 crore. This sale includes the government's 30.48% stake alongside LIC's 30.24% stake in the bank. The total proceeds from various minority stake sales have already reached Rs 55,757 crore.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared the emergency in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan that has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks. It suspended the local government led by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, accusing it of failing to tackle militancy, and put an opponent from Zardari's party in charge.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has declined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for military cooperation against the Houthis. This opposition stems from concerns about public reaction to collaboration with Israel. Recent Houthi attacks highlight the immediate security threat to Saudi infrastructure and civilians. Saudi Arabia maintains its stance that normalization with Israel requires progress on Palestinian statehood.
Kumar Mangalam Birla announced plans to invest $30 billion over the next two to three years. This investment will target businesses both in India and internationally, reflecting the group's global operations. The Aditya Birla Group will allocate $5 billion for a new aluminum recycling plant in Alabama. Birla acknowledged that geopolitical issues complicate investment decisions and have changed strategies.
A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 30s was found dead at a property.
The German airline outbid Air France-KLM, the only other company in the race, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said. The government set aside 5 per cent of the company for its more than 9,000 employees to buy shares, with the government remaining the main shareholder.
The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride container ship, with a small 2,824 TEU (20-ft equivalent unit) capacity, had sunk, the sources said. The vessel's United Arab Emirates-based manager GFS Ship Management FZE could not be immediately reached for comment.
