With the media focused on the upcoming Bihar elections, you might have missed some of these headlines. Have a look.

1. A POCSO court sentenced a man to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a 6-year-old girl in Hapur, UP.

The child was apparently abducted and brutally raped by the man after which he was arrested. The judgement was delivered in just 22 days after the framing of charges.

shethepeople.tv

2. The Indian government has restored the validity of all existing visas, except electronic visa, tourist visa and medical visa, 8 months after they were suspended in the wake of lockdown.

This has been done to ease the restrictions and will facilitate the travel of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders and foreign nationals, except on tourist visa.

Indian Express

3. The government has decided to give ₹3,737 crore bonus to 30.67 lakh central government employees.

Announcing the bonus, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting said that this will encourage spending during the festival season and add to demand in the economy. 

4. Thousands of people rallied across France showing solidarity against the beheading of a school teacher who apparently showed cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in class.

Demonstrators gathered on Sunday in cities including Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes, Marseille, Lille and Bordeaux in support of free speech and in tribute to Samuel Paty, the teacher, who was killed outside his school on Friday, 16th October.

DW

5. Former JNU student Umar Khalid alleged that he has been kept under solitary confinement by Tihar Jail authorities for several days.

He claimed that he is not being allowed to step out of his cell or meet anyone. During a court hearing, he asked:

I need security but security cannot be that I cannot step out at all. This is like a punishment, why am I been given this punishment?
Indian Express

6. India recorded the highest annual average PM 2.5 concentration exposure in the world, in 2019.

According to the State of Global Air 2020 report, India has been recording an increase in PM 2.5 pollution since 2010 contrary. Out of the 20 most populous countries, 14 have recorded a gradual improvement in air quality but India, Bangladesh, Niger, Pakistan and Japan are among those that have recorded a modest increase in air pollution levels.

BBC

7. New Zealand’s parliament now has the maximum percentage of LQBTQ representation in the world.

The recent election results show that there will likely be 11 members from the LGBTQ community in New Zealand’s 120-seat Parliament. This record was previously held by the UK.

gaystarnews

8. Hundreds of Nigerians defied a curfew and returned to the streets of Lagos to protest against police brutality.

Protests began earlier this month in Nigeria calling on the authorities to abolish a controversial police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). 

HT

9. The Union government announced that JEE (Main) will be held in more regional languages from next year.

In his statement, Union Education Minister, said:

In line with the vision of NEP 2020, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of JEE (Main) has decided to conduct the JEE (Main) examination in more regional languages of India.
Tribune India

10. The Indian Navy has operationalised its first batch of women pilots on Dornier Aircraft by the Southern Naval Command at Kochi.

Lieutenant Divya Sharma, Lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop and Lieutenant Shivangi are the three women pilots of the first batch.

Times Now

11. A 6-year-old girl was raped and set on fire in Punjab.

The two accused, Gurpreet Singh and his grandfather Surjit Singh, have been arrested on charges of murder, rape and other relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Indialegalive

12. A 7-year-old boy from Aligarh was booked for allegedly raping a 5.5-year-old girl.

As per reports, the girl went to the boy’s home to get her ball when she was allegedly grabbed and raped.

DNA India

13. The Union government has notified protected buffer area around Maharashtra’s Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary.

The sanctuary is home to 264 bird species, 47 species of mammals, about 59 species of reptiles, 20 species of amphibians and 66 species of butterflies.

nisargramyakonkan

14. As per reports, farm fires are contributing 22% to Delhi’s PM 2.5 load, in the current scenario.

Delhi’s AQI has dipped to ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories, recently. 

HT

15. A level-5 fire broke out in a Mumbai mall prompting authorities to evacuate 3,500 residents of the neighbouring 55-storey residential tower.

Aroun 250 firefighters were deployed at the site, of whom 2 were reported to be injured.

The Quint

16. Researchers have found a lost river that flowed through the central Thar desert, near Bikaner, 1,72,000 years ago.

Mint

17. The US government has proposed not to issue temporary business visas for H-1B speciality occupations.

Indians could be affected by this decision, if finalised, because this visa allowed companies to send their technology professionals for a short stay to complete jobs on site in the US

Business Standard

Important ones, right?