The Odisha government has scaled up rescue and relief operations in the Ganjam and Gajapati districts, where thousands of residents have been stranded for over 24 hours. Following torrential rains brought by Cyclone Arnab, the state is now preparing to air-drop food packets to those cut off from land-based assistance.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also manages the Water Resources portfolio, noted that the severity of the flooding in Ganjam was unexpected. While administrative preparations had initially focused on Malkangiri as the high-risk zone, the rainfall in Ganjam surpassed all projections. In the Patrapur block alone, 54 cm of rain was recorded within a 24-hour window.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted the extraordinary nature of the weather event, stating that the volume of rain recorded in Ganjam over a single day exceeded the area's total annual average. This intensity created flood currents so powerful that ground teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) were initially unable to enter several affected zones.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has delivered an unprecedented shock to the sporting world by ordering the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to admit Russian national teams to all competitions in the 2026/27 season.
International Ice Hockey Federation loses court battle against Russia
Although the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) had been pursuing its legal battle methodically, few had predicted such an unequivocal victory in a sport so dear to Russians. Organisationally, international ice hockey is dominated by a relatively small club of six or seven influential countries with anti-Russian leanings. Nevertheless, CAS judges unanimously ruled that the IIHF had failed to provide sufficient evidence of security threats — the main argument the federation had once again used to justify extending the ban.
Lawyers representing the Russian side demanded proof of such threats: official warnings from tournament organisers, intelligence reports indicating that unrest was being planned, or formal visa refusals. The IIHF had no such documents. Its position rested on general statements and the political context surrounding Ukraine. CAS reasonably ruled that, in the absence of documented security threats, depriving athletes of the right to compete after the International Olympic Committee had issued positive recommendations was unlawful. This was all the more significant given that the IIHF statutes prohibit restricting teams' participation on the basis of nationality.
The Supreme Court of India is set to examine the constitutional validity of the definition of 'industry' under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, following a petition by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Tamil Nadu. The legal challenge focuses on specific exclusions within the Code that may create a disparate system of justice for workers performing identical roles based solely on the classification of their employer.
Under Section 2(p) of the 2020 Code, an 'industry' is defined as a systematic activity involving cooperation between an employer and workers to produce or distribute goods and services. However, the statute explicitly excludes domestic services, government activities related to sovereign functions, and institutions managed by organisations primarily engaged in charitable, social, or philanthropic activities. Crucially, the Code also grants the Central Government discretionary power to notify further exclusions.
This statutory framework marks a significant departure from the long-standing legal precedent established in the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa case. While the 1978 ruling focused on the nature of the activity-the "triple test" of systematic activity, cooperation, and production-to determine if an entity was an industry, the new Code shifts the emphasis toward the identity and motive of the employer.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia from his position as the top Army general overseeing strategic planning at the Pentagon. According to officials who are not authorized to speak publicly, the dismissal follows an investigation into the alleged leak of classified information regarding military operations in Iran and Ukraine.
The Pentagon confirmed the existence of a probe into the release of classified data, stating that the matter has been referred to the Justice Department for possible legal action. The statement noted that the Air Force Office of Special Investigations oversaw the inquiry. While the statement did not name the individual involved, NPR identified the subject as General Sylvia, whose role encompasses broad strategic planning, policy development, and long-term assessment rather than direct command of current combat operations in the region.
Institutional Mechanism and Precedent
This action is part of a broader pattern of leadership turnover within the Department of Defense. Hegseth has dismissed approximately two dozen senior officers, some due to disagreements over the deployment of U. S. troops on American streets and others perceived as aligned with former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley. The current removal is framed by the administration as a response to security breaches, echoing a 2025 finding by the Pentagon Inspector General. In that earlier instance, the Inspector General determined that Secretary Hegseth transmitted secret information about aircraft launch times and strike coordinates to unauthorized individuals via a Signal chat.
Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, confirmed that deposits were unaffected while withdrawals remained suspended, with a full coverage of user losses guaranteed despite an attacker moving approximately $6.36 billion out of its wallets across ten blockchains. The exchange stated that withdrawals are expected to resume within a day or two, while blockchain intelligence firm TRM attributed the incident to TraderTraitor, a North Korean hacking unit, with high confidence. TRM noted that the majority of the funds were exfiltrated in about 20 minutes, establishing this as the largest recorded cryptocurrency theft.
Attribution and Forensic Analysis
TRM published an analysis on Thursday identifying the attacker as TraderTraitor, citing specific features that match previous North Korea-linked heists, including the $1.5 billion hack on Bybit in February of the previous year, for which the FBI attributed responsibility to the same group. Chainalysis, another blockchain analysis company, independently assessed that the Binance hack was likely executed by the same DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) group. Binance initially suggested an initial investigation pointed to a compromised laptop, but subsequent probes uncovered additional "points of breach." The exchange stated it worked with blockchain partners to freeze roughly $3 billion in affected assets and is collaborating with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators.
Financial Exposure and Governance
The incident raises specific questions regarding access controls, according to Kok Tin Gan, cofounder and CEO of cybersecurity firm NyxLab. Gan stated that the attack signature suggests the attacker utilized a never-expiring, full-access token to a Binance hot wallet, which holds users' private keys connected to the internet. In response, Binance stated on social media that it found no evidence of a wallet private key leak and pledged to release more technical details upon completion of its investigation. Changpeng Zhao, who founded Binance in 2017 and stepped down as CEO in 2023 after pleading guilty to a felony related to failing to prevent money laundering, posted that user funds are safe. Although he no longer manages the company, Zhao stated that as a shareholder, he expects all user funds to be fully covered following his 2025 presidential pardon.
Binance confirmed it is addressing a significant hacking incident involving $6.3 billion, allegedly orchestrated by a North Korean-affiliated hacker group. This breach is believed to be the largest crypto heist to date.
Republicans are losing ground in a state where Democrats are seeking to retain Senate seats and win the governor’s race.
Less than a week before the midterm elections, polls predict that voters in Georgia are not leaning toward Republicans in a state that plays a decisive role in U.S. politics and gave Donald Trump a narrow victory in the 2024 presidential election.
“Republicans are disappointed. Trump promised he would lower prices, and obviously, it was a scam,” said David, a Democratic volunteer who goes door to door in neighborhoods across the city of Macon to make sure no progressive vote is lost.
Polls point to a likely victory for Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is seeking reelection against Republican Mike Collins and could even become a presidential candidate in 2028.
Democrats need to hold on to their seats in Georgia and Michigan and flip four Republican-held seats in swing states to win a Senate majority.
They are also hoping to make Keisha Lance Bottoms the first woman and first African American to serve as governor of Georgia, although polls show a dead heat with Republican Rick Jackson.
🇺🇸 Obama blasts Trump’s ‘chaos and cruelty’ ahead of US midterms
Former US president Barack Obama delivered scathing criticisms of current leader Donald Trump at a rally in Georgia to support Democratic candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. pic.twitter.com/CyTKSsO8up
In Georgia, every vote counts. Trump defeated Harris in 2024 by 115,000 votes, while Joe Biden won in 2020 by just 12,000 votes, a margin Trump unsuccessfully challenged with allegations of fraud.
Few states embody the electoral pendulum as well as Georgia, where a population boom and decades of economic growth have transformed a Republican stronghold in the South into a state where either party can win.
While the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to Coca-Cola, CNN and Delta Air Lines, is a major source of Democratic votes, the state’s iconic peach orchards, by contrast, are turning Republican red.
💙 GEORGIA VOTE BLUE UPDATE:
With ONE day of early voting left, Democratic voters are still showing up strong, outpacing red counties relative to 2024!
Over 2.5 million ballots have been cast statewide—let’s keep expanding our lead! 🗳️✨
The birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and the cradle of the civil rights movement, Georgia also has an African American population of more than 30%, above the national average.
Mobilizing those voters was one of Obama’s goals when he chose Atlanta for his final major campaign rally last Wednesday. “Obama represents hope, faith and class. He is the best of the best; what we have now is garbage,” said Patricia, an African American voter who attended the event.
So far, voter turnout in the Southern state has already broken records, with more than 2.3 million people casting early ballots, surpassing the previous high set during the 2022 midterm elections.
Although early voting figures cannot predict the outcome, some indicators favor Democrats, with higher turnout in urban centers and more moderate participation in rural areas.
trump’s net approval across all 50 states w/ less than one week until midterms
(only 10 states rate the president net positively, and approval is underwater in most states with key races)
Aware of what is at stake, Trump has visited Georgia twice in two weeks, most recently last Saturday, when he announced a multibillion-dollar investment by Audi to build a plant that would bring thousands of jobs, according to him.
The economy dominates a campaign shaped by public frustration over the high cost of living and rising gasoline prices amid the war in Iran.
“Women voters in counties across the Atlanta metropolitan area tend to be decisive. Gasoline and food prices are the main issues,” political scientist Kerwin Swint said.
Obama has tapped into the frustration of Americans struggling to make ends meet with a viral joke that has angered Trump: He compared the White House’s gold decor to the tacky aesthetic of The Cheesecake Factory restaurants.
Outside his rally, a man was selling T-shirts depicting the White House transformed into one of those restaurants. He said they sold out in the blink of an eye. Tuesday will show whether that is a reflection of what will happen at the ballot box.
Residents in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, Ukraine, are being evacuated amid a truce backed by Melania Trump. Essential supplies like food and medicine are arriving in the town.
Following the vote, the 45-year-old snuck out of Brazil via Argentina and Ecuador in a cloak-and-dagger operation, after being ordered to surrender his passports due to several ongoing investigations against him
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