Ayodhya, the city of Lord Rama, shone brightly on Sunday as over 26 lakh diyas lit up the city during Deepotsav celebrations. The event set two Guinness World Records — for lighting 26,17,215 diyas and for the most people performing diya rotation together. Organised by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the District Administration, the celebration showcased Ayodhya’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received the Guinness certificates. The Sarayu River glowed like a river of light, marking another historic Diwali for the holy city and drawing visitors from across India. 

A major robbery took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday morning. Thieves entered through a window in an area under construction and stole several pieces of jewellery in just seven minutes. They used a basket lift and a disc cutter to break into the Apollo Gallery, which displays France’s Crown Jewels. Police said the gang appeared to have done prior scouting. One stolen jewel, believed to be Empress Eugénie’s crown, was later found broken outside the museum. No injuries were reported. The Louvre was closed for the day as police carried out forensic work. (PC: HT)

On October 19, 2025, the Louvre Museum in Paris was closed after a daring daylight robbery in the Galerie d’Apollon, home to part of the French Crown Jewels. Thieves used a basket lift to gain access, smashing display cases and stealing nine pieces of historic jewelry, including items associated with Napoleon and Empress Eugénie. The heist lasted approximately seven minutes, and the perpetrators escaped on motorcycles. No injuries were reported, and visitors were evacuated. Authorities are conducting forensic investigations, and a detailed inventory of the stolen items is underway. The museum remains closed for the day to preserve evidence.  

Israel launched airstrikes in southern Gaza's Rafah on Sunday following alleged Hamas attacks on Israeli forces with sniper fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz held emergency discussions with military officials. Israel's public broadcaster claimed the strike followed an "exchange of fire," while Al Jazeera reported an IED explosion injured Israeli soldiers. Hamas accused Israel of ceasefire violations. Gaza's civil defense recovered nine Palestinian bodies, including four children, after Israeli tank shells hit a bus Saturday. Both sides have traded ceasefire violation accusations for days. Under the US-brokered agreement, Hamas returned all 20 surviving hostages and 12 deceased remains, with remaining bodies requiring recovery from rubble.

The US military destroyed a suspected drug-carrying submarine in the Caribbean on Thursday, killing two people, President Trump announced Saturday. Trump claimed the vessel was "loaded mostly with Fentanyl" and would have killed "at least 25,000 Americans" if allowed ashore. Pentagon footage showed the semi-submersible exploding after strikes. Two survivors including citizens of Ecuador and Colombia were rescued and returned for prosecution. Trump justified the operation under "armed conflict" legal authority against cartels, treating traffickers as enemy combatants. This marks the sixth strike on drug vessels since early September, bringing the death toll to 29. The campaign occurs amid US military buildup in the Caribbean with 6,500 troops, destroyers, F-35s, and a nuclear submarine.

The Donald Trump administration announced the destruction of a “very large drug-carrying submarine” in the Caribbean, targeting what U.S. intelligence claimed was a vessel loaded with fentanyl and other illicit narcotics. Two suspects were killed and two survived, later repatriated to Ecuador and Colombia for prosecution. Trump asserted the strike prevented up to 25,000 American deaths from drug-trafficking, labelled the incident a blow against “narcoterrorists,” and signalled a shift in U.S. policy toward lethal military action in drug interdiction.     

Israel launched airstrikes in Rafah and other areas of southern Gaza, just days after a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire began. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted Hamas fighters responsible for recent attacks on Israeli troops. Palestinian officials accused Israel of violating the truce, reporting civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. The renewed violence has heightened fears of a complete collapse of the ceasefire, undermining ongoing humanitarian aid deliveries and hostage negotiations. International mediators have urged both sides to exercise restraint to prevent a wider escalation and protect Gaza’s already vulnerable civilian population.

Paris’ iconic Louvre Museum shut its doors after early-morning thieves broke in and made off with “priceless jewellery” from the Apollo Gallery, according to French officials. The robbery, said to have lasted just seven minutes, involved a scooter-arriving gang using small chainsaws and a freight elevator to access the targeted room via the under-construction Seine-facing façade. No injuries were reported, but police and museum staff remain on site investigating the incident. (PC: NDTV)

President Donald Trump responded to massive nationwide "No Kings" protests by posting AI-generated videos on Truth Social showing himself as a crowned king. One clip featured him flying a fighter jet dropping apparent feces on protesters, set to "Danger Zone." Another Instagram video showed him king-dressed before the White House with Andrea Bocelli music. Seven million protesters demonstrated across all 50 US states Saturday, chanting "This is what democracy looks like" and "Donald Trump has got to go." Organizers emphasized peaceful assembly rights, with zero protest-related arrests in New York where over 100,000 rallied. Protests targeted Trump's hardline immigration policies, ICE enforcement, and perceived threats to democracy during the third week of government shutdown.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during peace talks in Doha, Qatar, announced Sunday by the Qatari foreign ministry. The negotiations, also mediated by Turkey, aim to end a week of intense border clashes that killed dozens and wounded hundreds. Qatar's statement confirmed both sides will hold follow-up meetings "to ensure sustainability of the ceasefire and verify its implementation in a reliable and sustainable manner." The border fighting marked the worst confrontation between the neighbors since Taliban's 2021 return to power in Kabul. Afghan Defence Minister Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob led Kabul's delegation, while Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif represented Islamabad in discussions with Taliban representatives.