Good evening. Delhi’s air quality a day after Diwali and Namaz controversy at Pune’s Shaniwar Wada fort dominated news headlines on Tuesday, October 21. But much more has happened in the worlds of politics, business, technology, sport, and entertainment. Don’t worry, Express Catch-up is here to bring you up to speed.
- 01
Prashant Kishor alleges his candidates withdrew after intimidation by BJP
As the election battle heats up in Bihar, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of “intimidating” his party’s candidates. According to Kishor, Jan Suraaj candidates from Brahampur and Gopalganj withdrew their nominations after intimidation by BJP leaders. He also alleged that several other candidates are also being intimidated, while another was prevented from filing nominations after he was held hostage by RJD goons. Read more
- 02
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant says SC prioritised crackers over right to live
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday criticised the Supreme Court over the spike in air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the morning after Diwali. In a social media post, Kant said the SC had chosen “the right to burn crackers over the right to live and breathe.” Delhi-NCR’s air quality had plummeted to ‘Hazardous’ levels for the first time this season on Monday due to the bursting of firecrackers. Earlier this month, the SC lifted a blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR and allowed the sale and use of green firecrackers during Diwali. Read more
- 03
Sanae Takaichi elected as Japan’s first female prime minister
Japan’s lower house on Tuesday elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi will replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July. A protege of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to emulate his policies, including stronger military and economy, as well as revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. Read more
- 04
Trump administration announces exceptions to $100,000 H-1B Visa fee
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services released updated guidelines on October 20 on who is required to pay the $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, as the changes to visa applications come into effect. According to the guidelines, any H-1B visa petitions filed at or after 12:01am on September 21 will be denied if they are not accompanied by a copy of the proof of the payment of $100,000 fee. It also said that exceptions to the $100,000 H-1B visa fee payment would be granted by the Secretary of Homeland Security in ‘extraordinarily rare circumstances’. Read more
- 05
2 men with rocket-propelled grenade held in Amritsar
The Punjab Police said on Tuesday that they have arrested two men from Amritsar and recovered a rocket-propelled grenade, an RPG-22 anti-tank launcher, from them. The police identified the accused as Mahekdeep Singh alias Mahek, and Aditya alias Aadi. The accused were allegedly in touch with a handler linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and were “planning an attack during the Diwali period”, the police added. Read more
