IBTimes

Iranian lawmaker Amir Hayat-Moghaddam said the exemption for Indian vessels would facilitate medicine imports into Iran, while China's exemption was intended to secure Beijing's political support. Indian and Chinese vessels will still have to pay transit fees, while Qatari ships can pass without charges.

US President Donald Trump claimed that Republicans would have won the midterm elections by a landslide if he had been on the ballot, following the party's major setback as Democrats took control of Congress. Trump blamed the outcome on the absence of his name from the ballot and said he would analyse why candidates won or lost.

Indian-American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has been re-elected to the US House of Representatives from Virginia's 10th Congressional District, securing over 61.5% of the vote. The former White House technology policy advisor to Barack Obama defeated Republican Dave Beckwith.

India's unofficial gold imports surged over 1,500% to 50 tonnes during July-September, their highest level since 2023, according to the World Gold Council. Higher import duties encouraged informal trading channels, while elevated prices and cautious jewellers clouded demand prospects.

Donald Trump has acknowledged that the Iran war may have contributed to Republican losses in the 2026 US midterm elections. Expressing surprise at the results, he defended military action against Tehran and indicated that he could use his veto powers against legislation passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress.

Jammu and Kashmir's pace sensation Auqib Nabi has made his India ODI debut against the West Indies in Guwahati. The Baramulla-born pacer, who played a key role in J&K's historic Ranji Trophy triumph and claimed 60 wickets in the 2025-26 season, became the third cricketer from J&K to represent India at the international level.

On the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh, climate activist and LAB leader Sonam Wangchuk demanded that the findings of the judicial inquiry headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B. S. Chauhan be made public. He also questioned the police firing, sought dignified compensation for victims' families and raised concerns over his nearly six-month detention under the NSA.

Climate activist and Leh Apex Body leader Sonam Wangchuk defended his comparison between the situation in Ladakh and China's treatment of Tibetans, saying he was referring only to the Leh violence of September 24 and not to the decades-long suffering of Tibetans. He also apologised to Tibetan friends who were hurt by his remarks. The Central Tibetan Administration criticised the comparison as misplaced and inaccurate.