Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled what he described as a "flying" car, equipped with thrusters, during a livestreamed event at his SpaceX rocket company's facility on Thursday.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2026/Oct/16/elon-musk-unveils-teslas-flying-car

#TNIEexplainer | The Supreme Court has issued a stern notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, directing him to explain his conduct before deciding whether to hear his plea challenging the SIR of voter lists.

A bench led by the Chief Justice provisionally entertained the petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and twelve opposition leaders, warning that "nobody can browbeat us" amid mounting political tensions.

Meanwhile, the apex court has issued notices to the EC seeking responses regarding demands for an independent judicial audit into alleged voter roll deletions and modifications.
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjXU9zGEmE

“The Delhi Police has taken Abhijeet Dipke to an undisclosed location. We have lost contact with him. He is not being allowed to talk to lawyers,” the CJP said in a post on X, demanding that the police disclose his whereabouts.


🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Oct/16/cjp-aisa-question-whereabouts-of-dipke-neha-bora-allege-denial-of-access-to-lawyers-after-detention

Sun Group Chairman Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kavery Maran called on Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at his Jubilee Hills residence and invited him to the wedding reception of their daughter Kavya Maran.


Kavya's wedding reception with Anirudh Ravichander is scheduled to be held in Chennai on November 21.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has been granted conditional bail by a Delhi court and asked to sign a peace bond before his release.


🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2026/Oct/17/cjps-abhijeet-dipke-gets-conditional-bail-after-arrest-over-tiranga-march

Why Keralam is the new gulf for migrant workers?

Speaking with Prabhu Chawla, Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala explains a fascinating economic shift: Keralam has practically become the new "Gulf" for migrant laborers from states like Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha.

Attracted by excellent wages, a favorable climate, and a welcoming atmosphere, these workers are now a crucial backbone of Keralam's development.

Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeexuGin6o

#TNIEexplainer | When CJP leaders were arrested in Delhi, MK Stalin did not stay silent. When young activists faced detention, he offered legal assistance.

At a time when the CJP's protests against the SIR of electoral rolls have drawn a police crackdown, the DMK has repeatedly voiced its support. Could Stalin be emerging as one of CJP's most consistent political allies? And could this partnership open the door to a new opposition front?

In this video, we try to analyse the reason behind MK Stalin's unconditional support to the youth protests.
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW6cngU7v9g

Tamil Nadu CM Vijay made a calculated political move during his high-profile public stage appearance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

By choosing to address the gathering strictly in Tamil and English, Vijay signaled firm commitment to the state's traditional two-language formula.

Political analysts highlighted that this deliberate choice respected local sentiments while keeping coalition ally Congress aligned on federalism and state rights.

Watch #BottomLine by Prabhu Chawla:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SYcFg1SiRgM

Actor Imran Khan, a US citizen and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, moved the Bombay High Court challenging a Mumbai Police notice directing him to leave India by Oct 28 for allegedly violating rules by participating in anti-CEC protest.


🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/maharashtra/2026/Oct/17/illegal-unreasonable-imran-khan-moves-bombay-hc-against-notice-directing-him-to-leave-india-by-october-28

Seventeen people were reportedly feared dead and several others injured in a stampede at a community Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata.

Kolkata Police are yet to confirm the casualties.


🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/west-bengal/2026/Oct/17/17-feared-dead-several-injured-in-stampede-at-kolkata-durga-puja-pandal

Why India won't hand over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh

In this conersation of #TNIEGlobalTalks, Prabhu Chawla speaks with former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, regarding Dhaka's demand for Sheikh Hasina's extradition.

Chakravarty explains that India will not simply hand her over, noting she was forced out in a military-led semi-coup rather than fleeing as a convicted criminal.

WATCH NOW🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iaUlIdzICs

Column | The government must resist the temptation to answer dissent with force.

A ruling party that faces serious charges of weakening constitutional institutions can least affords to be seen using police, agencies and prisons to silence its critics.

The wiser course is to discover or invent outlets through which the opposition and the young can vent their grievances, whether through meaningful debate in Parliament, open hearings by committees, or regular dialogue with student bodies.

The opposition, in turn, must accept the reasonable restrictions that the Constitution itself places on protest, so that the right to dissent does not become a licence to disrupt.

The movement has not yet spread across the whole country. But it has certainly given the government sleepless nights.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinion/columns/pc/2026/Oct/17/regime-change-ballot-box-or-street

Organisers among seven arrested in connection with the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede that claimed 19 lives.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/west-bengal/2026/Oct/18/kolkata-durga-puja-stampede-toll-rises-to-19-cm-announces-sit-led-by-hc-judge

Chennai witnessed first cloudburst-like rainfall with two stations receiving over 300 mm rain on Saturday, a first since the onset of Northeast monsoon.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2026/Oct/18/chennai-hit-by-cloudburst-like-rain-1st-300-mm-event-of-northeast-monsoon

Column | At a macro level the promised land of productivity comes at a cost. Loss of jobs equals loss of consumption and growth.

The ILO estimates unemployment among the 15-24 age cohort is at 12.4 percent. It is over 9 percent for the youth in the US, 16.1 percent for the 16-24 group in China and 9.9 percent of the 15-29 cohort in India are out of work.

The white-collar worker forms the spine of the middle class—in India the IT is the largest exporter, the largest formal employer and a multiplier of consumption.

AI is already busting business models.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinion/columns/shankkar-aiyar/2026/Oct/17/chatgpts-billions-meet-bubble-babel

From the ideal bahu who held the Virani family together on screen to the leader now welcoming rebel SP MLAs into the BJP, she addresses the irony of her journey, her organisational mandate, the Amethi defections, and whether she is the party’s answer to Rahul Gandhi.

She also responds to questions on why the BJP repeatedly focuses on him, whether she will contest against him in Rae Bareli or stick to Amethi, and how she sees the larger political battle ahead of 2027.

Smriti Irani's exclusive conversation with TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla

🔗 https://youtu.be/U8_oK7Twvsk?si=8ZeSbp9njcgTOwfQ

A whopping 105 regular graduates from the the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru’s 2026 batch received their degrees in absentia, compared to mere 17 at the 2025 convocation.

The 2026 convocation, temporarily cancelled by the university following a petition filed by the graduating class of 2026 and other students (present and past) of NLSIU against CJI Surya Kant’s attendance, was conducted at the Jnana Jyoti auditorium.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s son, Nandil, was among the graduates who received their degrees from CJI Surya Kant.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2026/Oct/18/105-students-skip-nlsiu-bengaluru-convocation-amid-cji-surya-kant-invitation

TNIE explainer | Prolonged conflicts in oil-producing regions have disrupted crude oil supplies and reduced the availability of diesel, a key fuel for transport, industry and the movement of goods.

The Russia-Ukraine war and Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries have damaged Russia’s refining capacity and reduced its ability to export fuel.

Russia has extended its ban on diesel exports by fuel producers until the end of October, adding to concerns over global supplies.

The conflict in West Asia has further worsened the situation. Disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have affected supplies from the Gulf region, tightening the global diesel market and pushing prices sharply higher in Europe and the US.

An agreement between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has raised hopes of some relief.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/explainers/2026/Oct/17/trumps-yo-yo-diesel-diplomacy

Column | When the CJP’s target moved to Gyanesh, Shah seems to have recognised where this was heading: politics.

The Rahul Gandhi-Neha Bora team’s street politics—agitate and be arrested—is getting eyeballs. Their rhetoric is far more visible than that of CJP leaders.

Big cyclones sweep away everything in their path, but even a cyclone cannot uproot a mountain.

The CJP established its ability to whip up a storm, but hasn’t yet proved it can move the mountain.

A mountaineer’s biggest mistake is to confuse the first ridge with the summit. In politics, this can cost an entire climb.

The cockroach has reached its first ridge. It doesn’t need Rahul or Neha to be its Sherpa. It must be its own Sherpa.

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2026/Oct/18/the-iron-fist-has-taken-off-the-velvet-glove

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the suspension of eight police personnel and the removal of the Gwalior City Superintendent of Police following a truck accident outside the Sheetla Mata temple that killed 14 devotees.

He also announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and financial assistance for the injured.

#TruckAccident

🔗https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/madhya-pradesh/2026/Oct/18/temple-tragedy-mp-cm-removes-gwalior-city-sp-suspends-8-cops-announces-rs-4-lakh-ex-gratia