A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Voting begins for bye-elections in Karnataka’s three Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats: State Election Commission officials said 1,502 polling stations were in the ‘sensitive category’.  
  2. Protestors clash with police in Lucknow over alleged corruption in state’s selection of teachers: The protest followed the Allahabad High Court’s order on Thursday directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct an inquiry.  
  3. MJ Akbar refutes rape claims, alleges he was in consensual relationship with latest accuser: Akbar’s wife Mallika claimed that Pallavi Gogoi’s account was a lie and that their ‘relationship’ over 20 years ago had caused ‘anguish and hurt’ to the family. 
  4. Assam CM blames inflammatory remarks by political leaders and media for Tinsukia killings: Several organisations have called a statewide shutdown on Saturday.  
  5. Ola, Uber drivers call off strike temporarily to avoid inconvenience during Diwali in Mumbai: The drivers’ union gave the companies an ultimatum till November 15 to meet their demands.
  6. PM Narendra Modi announces service to sanction loans for small businesses within 59 minutes: The prime minister launched the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Support and Outreach programme at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.    
  7. Pakistani cleric Maulana Samiul Haq, known as ‘father of Taliban’, shot dead: Haq, a former senator, led the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Akora Khattak. 
  8. Railways agrees to conduct inquiries two weeks after refusing to investigate Amritsar train tragedy: Initial evidence indicates that Railways was not responsible, said the chief commissioner of railway safety.  
  9. US announces resumption of sanctions on Iran, grants waiver to 8 nations: The curbs, which cover the shipping, financial and energy sectors, will come into force on November 5.  
  10. Turkish official claims Jamal Khashoggi’s body was dismembered and then ‘dissolved’: An advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the murderers wanted to ensure that no sign of the body would be left.