Here’s a quick rundown of today’s top stories.
**Today’s Major Events**
* Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal will be visiting Karur, Tamil Nadu, to meet with the families of those affected by the stampede.
* The final voter list for the Bihar elections is set to be released. The draft voter list, released on August 1st, had 7.24 crore voters. Approximately 65 lakh voter names were removed.
**Top 5 News Headlines**
1. **Israel Apologizes to Qatar over Doha Attack:** Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. This followed Israeli strikes on September 9th that targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar. Netanyahu made the call from the White House, where he was meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza.
2. **Suryakumar Yadav on Asia Cup Trophy:** Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stated that the Asia Cup 2025 trophy shouldn’t be a point of contention, and that the real reward is the players’, support staff’s, and everyone involved’s dedication and hard work. The Indian team didn’t take the trophy and medals from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who then left the stadium with the trophy. Yadav views it as just silverware.
3. **YouTube Premium Lite Launches in India at ₹89:** YouTube has launched a new Premium Lite plan in India for ₹89 per month. This plan allows users to watch most videos without ads, but it doesn’t include YouTube Music, downloads, and background play. This is a cheaper option than YouTube Premium, which costs ₹149 monthly. Premium Lite provides ad-free viewing at a lower price.
4. **India-Bhutan Rail Project Approved:** The Indian government has approved a new rail project to connect Bhutan. The project will cost ₹4,033 crore and will connect Bhutan’s Gelephu and Samtse to India by rail. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav shared information about the plan. This will ease travel and trade between India and Bhutan. Kokrajhar is a regional station connecting this project to India’s 1.5 lakh km rail network.
5. **Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Declared Terrorist Organization in Canada:** Canada has declared the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist group. The gang operates in India, with its leader continuing crimes from prison. India has refuted Canada’s claims and helped stop funding. The gang has 700 members in India who commit crimes like robbery, extortion, and money laundering. Canada now has 88 terrorist groups listed.
**Photo of the Day**
A farmer burning paddy stubble in the outskirts of Amritsar. This is common in Punjab and Haryana every October-November. Removing it is expensive and time-consuming. Smoke from burning stubble reaches Delhi-NCR and increases the AQI to dangerous levels, causing breathing problems, eye irritation, and asthma. The government has fines for stubble burning and subsidies for machinery, but farmers say it’s not enough.
**5 Top Stories from 5 States**
1. **Uttar Pradesh:** UP PGT exam postponed again, new dates soon.
2. **Haryana:** Rao Narendra Singh appointed Haryana Congress State President; Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Legislative Party leader.
3. **Maharashtra:** CJI’s mother invited to RSS centenary event.
4. **Uttarakhand:** CBI inquiry recommended for UKSSSC paper leak; exam to be cancelled.
5. **Jharkhand:** Vatican City-themed Durga Puja Pandal sparks controversy.