India & World, 24 Oct: 8 stories

This roundup is verified. The carousel was posted at 9:10 pm IST on 24 October 2026. The package was checked at 7:56 pm IST, and the Jordan toll was rechecked at 9:05 pm IST. Eight stories follow, each from the caption and that item's source list. The cover is an NP graphic.

The Bay of Bengal watch

The India Meteorological Department has issued a pre-cyclone watch, marked Yellow, for the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha. The caption and the bulletin describe a low over the Bay of Bengal. IMD expects that low to become a depression on 24 October. It expects a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay by the morning of 26 October, and it expects the system near the Andhra coast around the morning of 28 October. For 27 and 28 October, the forecast includes extremely heavy rain in places in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The caption says this is a forecast and that the track can change. A recheck at 9:05 pm IST, against the 14:30 bulletin, found the same line: the low was still expected to become a depression on 24 October. A cyclone had not formed. The slide is a 2019 satellite file of Cyclone Fani, NOAA / Wikimedia Commons, public domain, not this low.

Siwan

On the evening of 23 October, officials confirmed five deaths in a firecracker blast at a house in Alampur village, Siwan district, Bihar. The story list records that The Hindu reported at least seven. This note uses the official five. The Jamo Bazar station house officer and the chowkidar were suspended. An FIR has been registered. A check of the licence is under way. The fuller note is Siwan blast: five dead, SHO suspended. No one who died is named here. The slide is a 2017 file of the railway lines at Siwan Junction, ArmouredCyborg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, not the blast.

JD(U) and two expulsions

The Janata Dal (United) expelled Mokama MLA Anant Kumar Singh, and former MLA Neelam Devi, for six years. The caption describes Neelam Devi as his wife. The stated ground is anti-party activities connected with an election to the legislative council. The party asked Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar to act under the Tenth Schedule. That is a request for disqualification. It is not a disqualification. The caption says that until a decision, he remains an MLA. The Hindu, The Indian Express and the Press Trust of India are the reports named for this item. The slide is a 2021 file of the Bihar Assembly, Itcell.bla / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, not this step.

The SEBI order

SEBI's final order of 23 October tells Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy and Avadhut Sathe to refund Rs 546.17 crore. The order also sets Rs 67.87 crore as interest to be paid to the IPEF. The ground, in the order summary used here, is unregistered investment advice. Penalties in that summary are Rs 11.5 crore. The market ban runs for two years or until the refunds are made, whichever is later. The caption's shorter line is a ban of at least two years. The order itself is the source for the "whichever is later" line, with Business Standard and Mint also named. The slide is a 2006 file of SEBI Bhavan, Jimmy vikas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, not this order.

The second T20I in Christchurch

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I at Christchurch on 24 October. Tilak Varma made 51 not out off 26 balls and was player of the match. India lead the five-match series 2-0. The caption calls the match India's 300th T20I and India's 200th win in the format. ESPNcricinfo, The Indian Express and The Times of India are the reports named for this item. The first match of the series is in India & World, 22 Oct. The slide is a 2019 file of Hagley Oval, Michal Klajban / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, not this match. The Commons file is itself labelled cropped. This page shows that file whole.

The funeral in Karak

On 23 October, gunmen fired at a funeral at St George's Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, in Jordan's Karak governorate. The toll used here is nine dead. That figure is from a recheck at 9:05 pm IST: Jordan state television, via i24NEWS, and The Guardian. Earlier reports put the toll at seven, and then at eight, the eight attributed to Petra. Forty people were injured. The attackers are unidentified. India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack. The package's item list still had eight before that recheck. This page uses nine. Al Jazeera, The Guardian and the Associated Press are the report links named for this item. The slide is a 2024 file of Karak, Aboud-g95 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, not the funeral.

Brent crude

Brent crude settled at $116.72 a barrel on 23 October. That was up 3.14 percent on the day, and it was the highest settlement since 29 April. On the week, the price was up 6.2 percent. The reports tie the move to Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia and to an oil spill in the UAE. Those attacks are the reports' attribution. The caption adds that India imports most of its oil, and that the price therefore matters. Business Recorder, Morningstar and The Star are the reports named for this item. The slide is a 2014 file of a crude tanker in the Bosphorus, Ank Kumar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, not this settlement.

Bodhana Sivanandan

Bodhana Sivanandan, who plays for England, is 11 years, 7 months and 16 days old, and is of Indian origin. At the European Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, she completed the requirements for the International Master title. Chess.com, The Hindu and The Guardian describe that as the youngest time a woman has done so, breaking a record Judit Polgar set in 1988. FIDE's formal approval is still pending. Completing the requirements is what this note reports. It does not report that the title has already been conferred. The slide is an illustrative chess set, Wilfredor / Wikimedia Commons, CC0, not this player.