A look at the headlines today:
1. No end to Maharashtra political drama as Sena's Raut meets NCP's Pawar
A week after the Assembly poll results were out in Maharashtra, deadlock over power sharing between the BJP and ally Shiv Sena continued as developments in the opposition Congress-NCP camp triggered talks of possible formation of an alternative government. The day saw a series of meeting between senior leaders of major non-BJP parties, triggering talks in political circles about possibility of the Sena forming a government with the backing of opposition parties. The Shiv Sena rubbished reports of a climbdown and again indicated it had not given up its claim on the post of chief minister and 50:50 division of portfolios. Both these demands have been rejected by the BJP which has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue in the post for the next five years. Adopting a harsh tone, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party on Thursday accused the BJP of enacting "second act" of the "use and throw" policy while dealing with its ally.
2. German Chancellor Angela Merkel to hold talks with PM Modi today
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived on Thursday night on a two-day visit, during which she will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a host of bilateral issues, with nearly 20 agreements expected to be signed between the two countries. Merkel was received at the airport by MoS Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh. She will be meeting with the Indian leadership, besides a business delegation during her visit. She will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning and will pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat later in the day. "Enriching the strategic texture of our relationship. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Delhi beginning her State visit to India during which she, along with PM @narendramodi will co-chair the 5th-IGC (Inter Governmental Consultations).This would be the 5th meeting between the leaders within a year," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
3. US House formalises Trump impeachment process in landmark vote
Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its corruption investigation into Donald Trump on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president. "Today the House takes the next step forward as we establish the procedures for open hearings... so that the public can see the facts for themselves," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said "What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy." The top Democrat and Trump's chief nemesis in Congress addressed fellow lawmakers shortly before her chamber took a Halloween morning vote along party lines—232 to 196—to pass a resolution that lays out rules for the next stages of the impeachment process.
4. Andhra Pradesh to celebrate state formation day for three days from today
For the first time since the state was bifurcated, Andhra Pradesh will celebrate the State Formation Day on November 1. It was on November 1, 1956 that Andhra Pradesh was formed with the amalgamation of the erstwhile Andhra State and Hyderabad State. The state was again split on June 2, 2014 by carving out a new Telangana. Chandrababu Naidu, on becoming truncated APs first chief minister in 2014, had decided to celebrate its formation Day on June 2, in the aftermath of the state's bifurcation. The Y.S.R. Jagan Mohan Reddy government has chalked out a three-day programme to celebrate the occasion from November 1 to 3.
5. China rolls out 5G services in race to narrow tech gap with the US
China's three major state telecom operators rolled out 5G wireless technology, as the country races to narrow its technology gap with the US amid a bruising trade war. China Mobile, the country's largest carrier, announced its 5G services were available in 50 cities—including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen—with packages starting from 128 yuan (USD 18) a month. Rivals China Telecom and China Unicom are also offering services at comparable prices in major cities, according to notices on their websites. The ultra-fast mobile internet service—which is 100 times faster than existing 4G networks—allows consumers to download full-length films within seconds, or use apps with virtual reality. The technology will also pave the way for driverless cars, further automation in factories, and allow users to remotely control appliances such as coffee makers and ovens via the internet.
6. INX case: Delhi HC directs AIIMS director to constitute medical board on Chidambaram's condition
The Delhi High Court directed the AIIMS director to constitute a medical board on Thursday itself to give opinion on the health of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, who is suffering from Crohn's disease and is currently lodged in Tihar jail in the INX Media money laundering case. The high court said that the Hyderabad-based gastroenterologist Nageshwar Reddy, who has been treating the 74-year old Congress leader, be included in the board to give his opinion on Chidambaram's medical condition. Chidambaram has sought interim bail in the case, filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), on medical grounds saying his condition is deteriorating and he needs to be in a sterile environment. Justice Suresh Kait directed that the board will sit Thursday to discuss Chidambaram's medical condition and place the report before the court which will hear the matter today.
7. Bangladesh T20: Rohit says pollution no problem, Ganguly promises "practical scheduling"
The national capital's air quality is in "severe" category right now but India's stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said he doesn't expect any pollution-related problem during Bangladesh T20 on Sunday even as BCCI president Sourav Ganguly promised "practical scheduling" in near future. Bangladesh batsman Liton Das was briefly seen wearing a face mask during his team's first training session at the Feroz Shah Kotla but he later clarified that it was not due to air pollution. "No, no it was nothing to do with pollution. I just wore it myself as I had some problems," Liton told reporters. Rohit on his part felt that it won't be a problem as they had not faced issues during the Sri Lanka Test, where the opposition players were wearing masks and some fell ill. "We didn't have any problem when we played the Test match here (against Sri Lanka). We are not aware of the exact discussion and I haven't had any problem," Rohit said during a promotional event in the capital.
-Inputs from PTI
