JeM Raising Female Jihadi Force To 'Counter Hindu Women'; Amit Shah Backs Nitish Kumar To Continue As CM; And More

Trump Orders Resumption of US Nuclear Weapons Testing Before Meeting With Xi

US President Donald Trump has instructed the Department of War to resume US nuclear weapons testing, ending a three-decade moratorium in place since 1992. "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis," Trump wrote on social media before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

The announcement marks a dramatic reversal of longstanding US policy established by President George H.W. Bush as the Cold War ended. Trump justified the decision by citing Russia and China's testing programs, claiming China's nuclear arsenal "will be even within 5 years" despite the US currently possessing more nuclear weapons than any nation.

The last US nuclear test, code-named Divider, occurred on September 23, 1992, at Nevada's underground testing facility—the 1,054th such test conducted by America. Trump stated the testing "process will begin immediately" but provided no specific details about implementation methods or timelines for the resumption.

Jaish-e-Mohammed unveils female jihadi programme to counter 'Hindu women and journalists'

A 21-minute audio recording claimed to be of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar reveals a blueprint to recruit, train and deploy women terrorists, marking an evolution in the Pakistan-based group's strategy against India.

The recording, by many prominent news portals, details plans for Jamaat-ul-Mominat, an all-women brigade formed after Jaish suffered heavy losses during Operation Sindoor. Speaking at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Bahawalpur, Azhar promises recruits they will "go straight to paradise from their grave after death."

Azhar frames the initiative as countering "Hindu women in the Indian army and female journalists," vowing to "mobilize his women to compete and fight against them." District-level branches will be established across Pakistan, led by District Muntazimas tasked with recruitment, targeting commanders' wives, economically vulnerable women and relatives of slain terrorists.

Training will mirror male counterparts: a 15-day 'Daura-e-Taskiya' followed by 'Daura-Ayat-ul-Nisah' for religious indoctrination. Online classes, reportedly led by Azhar's sister Samaira (Umme Masood), began in late October with five weekly sessions.

Strict communication rules prohibit female recruits from speaking with unrelated men except immediate family. Intelligence agencies warn this exploitation of societal vulnerabilities significantly escalates regional security threats.

Other developments

India Secures US Sanctions Waiver Extension for Iran's Chabahar Port

India has obtained an extension of the US sanctions waiver for Iran's Chabahar Port until early next year, providing relief for its strategic trade corridor to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The waiver allows India to continue operations at the Shahid Beheshti Terminal under a 10-year contract signed in 2024. The port serves as a crucial route for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, and connects India to Central Asian nations like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Chabahar is being integrated with the International North-South Transport Corridor linking India, Iran, Russia and Central Asian states. Despite US maximum pressure policies on Iran, the project has repeatedly received waivers since 2018 due to its strategic and humanitarian significance, enabling India to balance relations with both Washington and Tehran.

TRAI Approves Caller Name Display Feature to Combat Spam Calls

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has approved the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) feature, which will display verified caller names during incoming calls. Unlike third-party apps like Truecaller, CNAP will operate within telecom networks using verified SIM registration data.

The feature will be activated by default for all mobile users, though subscribers can request deactivation. Telecom providers must maintain Calling Name (CNAM) databases linking phone numbers with registered user names, verified through the Local Number Portability Database.

TRAI expects CNAP will help users identify callers before answering, reducing spam and fraudulent calls. Following successful trials on 4G and 5G networks in select cities, the Department of Telecommunications will roll out the service nationwide as a supplementary feature integrated with basic telecom services.

IIT Kanpur Suspends Delhi Cloud-Seeding Operation Due to Low Humidity

IIT Kanpur suspended its cloud-seeding experiment in Delhi on Wednesday, 30 October, after scientists detected insufficient atmospheric moisture, marking the second failed attempt in 24 hours to induce artificial rainfall for pollution mitigation.

The operation, conducted in collaboration with the Delhi government, aimed to test whether induced rain could combat severe air pollution. However, humidity levels remained below 20 percent—far short of the minimum 50 percent required for successful seeding.

Professor Manindra Agrawal, IIT Kanpur Director and principal investigator, said the experiment provided valuable scientific insights despite producing no rainfall.

15,000 Farmers Block Nagpur-Hyderabad Highway Demanding Complete Loan Waiver

Nearly 15,000 farmers, led by Prahar Janshakti Party chief Bacchu Kadu, blocked the Nagpur-Hyderabad National Highway on Wednesday demanding complete loan waivers for debt-ridden Maharashtra farmers.

The 'Maha Elgar Morcha' caused massive traffic jams stretching several kilometers. Kadu demanded immediate unconditional loan relief, stating, "Not a single crop in Maharashtra is receiving its full price and the Chief Minister doesn't have time to meet farmers." He urged the Centre to intervene if the state lacks funds.

The Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench issued a suo motu order directing protesters to vacate by 6 pm, citing inconvenience to nearby schools, hospitals and public. Kadu agreed to comply but demanded clarity on police arrangements.

This follows Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's Rs 31,628 crore relief package announced earlier this month for rain-affected farmers, covering over 68 lakh hectares of damaged crops.

Bihar election corner

'No Vacancy For CM': Amit Shah Backs Nitish Kumar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah put an end to speculation about NDA's chief ministerial candidate in Bihar, firmly declaring that Nitish Kumar will continue as Chief Minister. Addressing election rallies in Rosra (Samastipur) and Alinagar (Darbhanga) on Wednesday, Shah stated emphatically, "There is no vacancy for CM or PM. Nitish is here in Bihar and Modi is in Delhi."

Taking aim at the opposition, Shah remarked that while Lalu Prasad wants his son Tejashwi Yadav as CM and Sonia Gandhi wants Rahul Gandhi as PM, both positions are already occupied. This announcement comes after Shah's earlier statement that MLAs would collectively choose the CM after election results, which had prompted the opposition to declare Tejashwi as their CM face.

Shah emphasized that the November 14 election is not about selecting MLAs but saving Bihar from "jungle raj," assuring NDA's victory and dismissing opposition chances.

If You Ask Him To Dance For Votes, He Will Dance: Rahul Gandhi On PM Modi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Muzaffarpur rally, accusing him of being desperate for votes. "He just wants your vote. If 200 people asked him to dance on stage for votes, PM Modi would start performing Bharatnatyam," Gandhi said.

He ridiculed Modi's Chhath Puja observance at the Yamuna, calling it "staged drama" with clean water pumped through hidden pipes into a pond, while the actual river remains polluted. Gandhi alleged "vote chori" (vote theft), claiming BJP stole elections in Maharashtra and Haryana and would attempt the same in Bihar.

He also criticized demonetization and GST for destroying small businesses, pointing to Chinese-made products flooding Indian markets, demanding "Made in Bihar" goods instead to generate local employment.