Morning Digest: Seven civilians killed in terror attack in Kashmir’s Ganderbal; New Zealand win maiden Women’s T20 World Cup, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on October 21, 2024

Seven civilians — a local doctor and six non-local workers — were killed in a militant attack at a construction site in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal on Sunday (October 20, 2024) evening. Official sources said unknown gunmen turned up near the camp site of a private company in Ganderbal’s Gagangeer area in the evening and opened indiscriminate firing. Construction of the strategic Z-Morh tunnel and widening of the highway are under way in the area, which is close to the tourist destination of Sonamarg.

New Zealand produced a clinical performance in a high-stakes final to beat South Africa by 32 runs and win their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title on Sunday. It turned out to be a historic Sunday for New Zealand cricket as the White Ferns got their hands on the ICC trophy hours after the men recorded their first Test win in India after 36 years.

India’s envoy to Canada has accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of destroying the ties between the two countries, asserting that he had nothing to do with the killing of a Khalistani separatist and that the charges against him are “politically motivated”.

The Congress party on Sunday announced its candidates for the two Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh and four in Assam that are scheduled for bypolls next month. All the seats will vote on November 13, and votes will be counted on November 23.

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Sunday granted 15 days to persons affected by the demolition notice served by the Uttar Pradesh government in the aftermath of Bahraich violence, to respond to the missive. In an extraordinary Sunday sitting, the Division Bench heard a PIL petition challenging the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposed action to demolish properties of the accused in the Bahraich violence that left one person dead on October 13.

In his first visit to his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi since June 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated projects worth ₹6,700 crore across the country and the RJ Shankara Eye Hospital in the city, stating that while previous government had neglected eastern Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi was now poised to emerge as a health care hub for the region.

Kamala Harris turned 60 on Sunday in the final stretch of a knife-edge U.S. election battle with 78-year-old Donald Trump, as she urged a Black congregation in Georgia to embrace compassionate values while others “spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos.”