News updates: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirms death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas chief and one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks, has been killed. The confirmation was reported by The Times of Israel, with Netanyahu instructing aides to notify the families of Israeli hostages about Sinwar's death. Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had reported the elimination of three militants during operations in Gaza, speculating that one of them might be Sinwar. This speculation has now been officially confirmed. The IDF stated on X (formerly Twitter), "During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar."

More on the confirmation of Sinwar's death from Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz, which came in a personal message to dozens of his counterparts around the world, reports BBC. He says the Hamas leader was killed by Israeli soldiers today, describing him as the "mastermind behind the massacre and atrocities" of 7 October. Katz adds: "This is a significant military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of evil of radical Islam led by Iran. "The elimination of Sinwar opens the possibility for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza—without Hamas and without Iranian control."

Five Air India flights were subjected to a security threat communicated via social media today. An Air India official stated, "These have been duly reported to the regulatory bodies and all laid down procedures were strictly followed as per guidance of the regulatory bodies." All five flights successfully completed their journeys and made safe landings. The official emphasized Air India’s commitment to safety, declaring, "Air India is committed to and accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew." The airline continues to work closely with regulatory authorities to ensure the highest security standards are upheld.

A Railway spokesperson on Thursday (October 17) informed that the Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Express derailed at Dibalong station in Assam around 3:55 pm. “Eight coaches of Agartala-Lokmanya Terminus Express derail in Assam's Dima Hasao district, no fatalities reported yet,” said a Railway spokesperson.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has provided clarification regarding External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar's recent visit to Islamabad, explaining that the primary purpose of the trip was to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "When EAM was about to travel to Islamabad, we had issued a statement that this particular visit is for SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting." He underscored that the visit was not focused on bilateral discussions with Pakistan. Jaiswal noted that the only bilateral engagement Dr. Jaishankar had during his time in Islamabad was with Mongolia. "Beyond that in Islamabad, the only bilateral EAM had was with Mongolia," he confirmed.

Economic ties with Canada robust and strong, says MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. He further said that Current India-Canada tension precipitated by Trudeau govt's baseless allegations. "So far no evidence shared by Canada", said MEA on alleged involvement of Indian govt agents in killing of Khalistani separatist Nijjar.

LTIMindtree registered a 7.7% year-on-year rise in its consolidated net profit for the second quarter of FY25 to Rs 1,251 crore. The IT firm had reported a profit of ₹1,161.8 crore in the year-ago period. 

Wipro Ltd has announced a 21 per cent rise in its net profit at Rs 3,209 crore for Q2FY25 as against Rs 2,646 crore in the year-ago period. It also announced bonus shares in proportion of 1:1.

Infosys reported a 4.7 per cent rise in September quarter net profit to Rs 6,506 cr; revenue was up 5 per cent at Rs 40,986 crore, the company said in a filing.

Marking the BJP's record third consecutive term in power in the state, Nayab Singh Saini took oath as Haryana's Chief Minister today.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and top BJP leaders, along with eighteen chief ministers from National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled states attended the oath-taking ceremony.

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of Citizenship Act which grants citizenship to immigrants in Assam. “Granting citizenship is traceable to Entry 71 of List 1 (Union List). The Assam Accord was a political solution to the issue of growing migration. Section 6A was the legislative solution,” the court said. The court stated that the mere presence of different ethnic groups in a state does not mean infringement of Article 29(1).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the celebration of International Abhidhamma Divas and recognition of Pali as a classical language at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Abhidhamma Divas commemorates the descent of Lord Buddha from the celestial realm after teaching Abhidhamma.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has formally proposed Justice Sanjiv Khanna to take over as the next Chief Justice of India in a communication sent to the Union government.

Nayab Singh Saini is set to be sworn in today as the chief minister of Haryana today in a ceremony which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other top BJP leaders. Saini on Wednesday staked claim to form the next government in Haryana, hours after he was unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in the state. At a meeting of newly elected Haryana BJP MLAs in Panchkula, Saini was unanimously picked as the leader of the BJP legislature party. His name was proposed by MLA Krishan Kumar Bedi and seconded by Anil Vij, who had thrown his hat in the ring for the chief minister's post despite the party backing Saini. The announcement in this regard was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Later, Saini met Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh and staked claim to form the government in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a national conclave of all chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Chandigarh on Thursday. In a press release, BJP said that almost all 20 Chief Ministers of NDA and their deputies will take part in the conclave. BJP President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, Andhra CM Chandra Babu Naidu and Nagaland CM Nephew Rio will attend the high-level meeting. The NDA meeting and CM conclave will be held between 3 pm to 7 pm.

Testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference in federal electoral processes and democratic institutions, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Canadian government is seeking India's help to find out if the alleged interference and violence was done either by a rogue element or directed by someone higher up in the government.