(1) Madagascar military coup

The military has seized power in a coup in the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar and ousted President Andry Rajoelina, who has fled the country.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, who seized power in a military coup, was sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader on Friday (October 17, 2025) in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the President.

Randrianirina, the commander of an elite army unit, took the oath of office to become the new President at a ceremony in the main chamber of the nation’s High Constitutional Court and in front of its nine red-robed judges.

The military takeover — which came after three weeks of anti-government protests by mainly young people — has been condemned by the United Nations and led to Madagascar being suspended from the African Union.

President Andry Rajoelina’s whereabouts are unknown after he left the country, claiming his life was in danger following the rebellion by soldiers loyal to Col. Randrianirina. He reportedly escaped on a French military plane.

Madagascar has high rates of poverty, which affect around 75% of the population, according to the World Bank. It also has a tumultuous history of political instability that has included several coups and attempted coups. Mr. Rajoelina himself came to power as a transitional leader in 2009 after a military-backed coup.

(2) US-China tit-for-tat tariffs

The United States and China on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) began charging port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

Early this year, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans to levy the fees on China-linked ships to loosen that country’s grip on the global maritime industry and bolster U.S. shipbuilding.

An investigation during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration concluded China uses unfair policies and practices to dominate the global maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, clearing the way for those penalties.

Analysts expect China-owned container carrier COSCO to be most affected, shouldering nearly half of that segment’s expected $3.2 billion cost from those fees in 2026.

China hit back last week, saying it would impose its own port fees on U.S.-linked vessels, also starting Tuesday (October 14, 2025). Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta noted that 13% of crude tankers and 11% of container ships in the global fleet would be affected.

“This tit-for-tat symmetry locks both economies into a spiral of maritime taxation that risks distorting global freight flows,” Athens-based Xclusiv Shipbrokers Inc said in a research note.

(3) Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to ceasefire

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday (October 19, 2025). This follows more than a week of fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds.

The two sides agreed to establish mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability, as well as holding follow-up talks in the coming days to ensure the ceasefire’s sustainability, the Qatari statement said.

Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan were in Doha for talks to resolve the deadliest crisis between them in several years, after more than a week of fighting killed dozens of people and injured hundreds on both sides.

The talks were mediated by Qatar and Turkiye. A 48-hour ceasefire intended to pause hostilities expired on Friday (Oct. 17, 2025) evening. Hours later, Pakistan struck across the border.

(4) Bihar Assembly election: NDA names all 243 candidates

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday (October 16, 2025) completed the announcement of its candidates for all 243 constituencies ahead of the Bihar Assembly election.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) announced its second and final list of 44 candidates while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) also announced nominees for their remaining seats.

The JD(U) has fielded turncoats Chetan Anand and Vibha Devi from Nabinagar and Nawada respectively. Both Mr. Chetan Anand, son of strongman Anand Mohan, and Ms. Vibha Devi were earlier associated with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Besides, the JD(U) has nominated Kaladhar Mandal from Rupauli.

The JD(U) and the BJP are contesting from 101 seats each. The BJP has already announced its 101 candidates and its third and final list was released on October 15. Chirag Paswan’s LJP(RV) and RLM are contesting from 29 and six seats respectively. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) had released its list of all six candidates on Tuesday (October 14).

(5) Palestinian death toll in Gaza tops 68,000

The Palestinian embassy in Egypt says the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen on Monday (October 20, 2025) for people returning to Gaza. The embassy announced the development in a statement on Saturday (October 18).

“The number of people registering to return to Gaza is very big,” Naji al-Naji, cultural counsellor at the embassy, told The Associated Press without saying how many.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The crossing is Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world that wasn’t controlled by Israel before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side.

Gaza’s ruins were being scoured for the dead on Saturday (October 18), over a week into a ceasefire as newly recovered bodies brought the Palestinian toll above 68,000.

Israel said the remains of a tenth hostage that Hamas handed over the day before were identified as Eliyahu Margalit.

The handover of hostages’ remains, called for under the ceasefire agreement, is among key points — along with aid deliveries into Gaza and the devastated territory’s future — in a process backed by much of the international community to help end two years of war.

Published – October 23, 2025 11:14 am IST

New Delhi:

The 2025 Union Budget is “positive and welcome… progressive and forward-looking”, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Saturday evening, lavishing praise on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech in the Lok Sabha. Ms Sitharaman’s budget, for FY 2025/26, made mention of several special schemes and welfare measures for Bihar, which will vote in an Assembly election later this year.

Nitish Kumar – who will lead the state’s ruling Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in that election – declared this budget, the eighth presented by Ms Sitharaman, would “further accelerate the development of Bihar (apart from) increasing pace of development of the country”.

The Bihar leader also heaped praise on Ms Sitharaman for two big-ticket announcements on income tax, i.e., hiking the rebate ceiling from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 12 lakh and rejigging new regime tax slabs.

As a result of the latter move, the Finance Minister had said, money in consumers’ hands, particularly from the middle class, would see a big increase, by as much as Rs 1.1 lakh in some cases.

NDTV EXPLAINS | What Rs 12 Lakh Exemption Means, What If You Earn More

“The middle class has got a lot of relief… Farmers will benefit from increasing the loan limit on ‘Kisan Credit Card’ to Rs 5 lakh, and increasing credit guarantee cover for micro enterprises to Rs 10 crore will increase employment opportunities,” Nitish Kumar wrote in Hindi, declaring, “Many (more) steps have been taken in the interest of the poor, youth, and farmers in the budget, which is welcome.”

केन्द्रीय बजट सकारात्मक एवं स्वागत योग्य है। केन्द्र सरकार का यह बजट प्रगतिशील एवं भविष्योन्मुखी है। इस बजट के माध्यम से केन्द्र सरकार द्वारा देश के विकास की गति को और बढ़ाने के लिए कई कदम उठाए गए हैं। बजट में बिहार के लिए जो घोषणाएं की गई हैं, उनसे बिहार के विकास को और गति…

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) February 1, 2025

Ms Sitharaman, in her speech, spoke about several measures for Bihar, including the setting up of a board for the makhana, or lotus nuts, industry to oversee and improve manufacturing, processing, and value addition of the product.

READ | Nirmala Sitharaman’s ‘Makhana‘ Gift For Bihar

She also said greenfield airports – referring to those built on previously undeveloped or empty greenfield land – would be set up to meet future aviation needs, including the demand for international flights.

READ | In Budget 2025, Big Gifts For Bihar Ahead Of Polls

The announcements for Bihar, however, were highlighted by the lack of any measures favouring Andhra Pradesh, which is ruled by the Telugu Desam Party, which is another critical BJP ally.

Support of the JDU and the TDP is essential for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to survive, because the BJP, by itself, did not secure enough seats to win the 2024 Lok Sabha election on its own. It required the backing of JDU and TDP MPs both to ensure a third term for Mr Modi.

As a result, no mention of Andhra Pradesh in this budget led to jabs from the Congress.

READ | “Bonanza” For Bihar, Andhra “Cruelly Ignored”: Congress’ Jab

Party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh led that charge, declaring Bihar got a “bonanza” but Andhra had been “cruelly ignored” in Ms Sitharaman’s budget. In a sarcastic X post, he noted that sops for Bihar could be seen as “natural” in this Budget since an election is due there later in the year.

Bihar appears to have got a bonanza of announcements. It is natural since elections are due there later in the year. But why is the other pillar of the NDA, namely Andhra Pradesh, been so cruelly ignored?

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 1, 2025

“But why has the other pillar of the NDA, namely Andhra, been so cruelly ignored?”

Mr Ramesh’s party colleague, Manish Tewari, also hit out on this issue.

“I fail to understand… was this a budget of Government of India or Government of Bihar? Did you hear the name of another state in the entire speech of the Union Finance Minister?”

Focus On Bihar Before Poll?

The big gifts for Bihar come months ahead of a significant election in a state where Nitish Kumar has led his JDU in several flip-flops over the years, jumping from BJP’s camp to the opposition.

In July last year, when Ms Sitharaman presented her seventh consecutive budget (and the first full one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term), both states were in focus. The Finance Minister announced significant financial aid for Andhra and major infrastructure projects in Bihar.

For Andhra, she had said the centre would provide Rs 15,000 crore for the purpose of developing Amaravati, the state’s new capital. Bihar, meanwhile, got Rs 26,000 crore for road projects and promises of new airports and sports infrastructure, as also Rs 11,500 crore for flood mitigation.

New Delhi:

The Congress will contest the Bihar assembly election as part of the Opposition bloc INDIA, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said at the party’s office in Patna today.

Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a member of the Opposition bloc, had said the INDIA grouping was meant to focus only on Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP and RSS have to be defeated in Bihar. We will defeat them by standing united with the bloc INDIA,” Rahul Gandhi said. “You are the lions and tigers of the Congress. Get ready to fight,” he told party workers.

The Bihar assembly election will be held this year.

Tejashwi Yadav, who in today’s RJD executive meeting was authorised to take big decisions along with his father Lalu Yadav, has not yet spoken on Rahul Gandhi’s comments that the Congress would fight the Bihar election with the INDIA bloc.

The RJD will amend its party constitution to give the right to Tejashwi Yadav to change the party name or symbol. The amendment will be presented in the upcoming state council meeting.

Rahul Gandhi later today went to Lalu Yadav’s Patna home and met his family.

Attacking the Nitish Kumar government, the Congress MP said the education system in Bihar has been “completely sold out”, depriving young people of the opportunity to secure jobs.

“Youth cannot get employment in Bihar. Inflation is skyrocketing, and poor people are being crushed,” he said, signaling a focus on addressing economic and social challenges.

Nitish Kumar leads a coalition government in Bihar with the Janata Dal (United) and the BJP being the key constituents.

Rahul Gandhi also met a delegation of aspirants who have been protesting against alleged irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams. The delegation asked him to visit Gardani Bagh where several aspirants have been on a round-the-clock protest seeking cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exam held last month.

“We urged Rahul Gandhi to visit Gardani Bagh which is our ‘dharmabhoomi’ and ‘karmabhoomi’. He said he will take some time off. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he is known to the entire nation and his support means a lot to us,” Suman Saurabh, a student from Sitamarhi, told news agency PTI.