Top headlines 17 October: SC says no to same-sex marriage; Israel thwarts infiltration bid from Lebanon

Tuesday, 17 October, 2023, marked the eleventh day of the Israel-Hamas war and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) gearing up for major ground assault in Gaza.

Also, the Supreme Court of India ruled that there cannot be legal recognition for same-sex marriages in the country, doing so by a 3-2 majority.

The judges of the apex court has asked the Centre to proceed with the formation of a committee to address practical concerns of same-sex couples.

Here’s a quick look at top 10 news that made headlines on 17 October, 2023:

1 – The Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that there cannot be legal recognition for same-sex marriages in India, passing over the case to the Parliament.

The five-judge bench came up with four judgments while unanimously agreeing that “there is no unqualified right to marry for same-sex couples.” While Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachudh and Justice SK Kaul ruled that same-sex couples have the right to adopt, the other three judges disagreed.

Read in detail: Same-Sex Marriage Verdict: All that the Supreme Court has allowed

2 –  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked scientists to aim to send the first Indian to the Moon by 2040 and set up an Indian space station by 2035.

He gave these directions during a meeting to review the preparedness of the Gaganyaan mission and the first demonstration flight of the crew escape system test vehicle scheduled for October 21.

Read in detail: Aim for Indian space station by 2035, Indian on Moon by 2040: PM Modi to scientists

3 – Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor is not new to controversies. He stoked a major one again as he called the Congress a “family-run” party, echoing the longstanding label used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Read in detail: ‘Congress is a family-run party’: Shashi Tharoor

4 – AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes shared a picture of him sitting shirtless on a chair and getting a massage while attending a management meeting in a conference room. However, the agenda of the post on networking platform LinkedIn was to appreciate the work culture of his company.

“Was a stressful week and Veranita Yosephine suggested a massage. Got to love Indonesia and AirAsia culture that I Can have a massage and do a management meeting,” said Fenandes, but his post has been drawing criticism from netizens who said it seemed “inappropriate”.

Read in detail: Top(less) Perks: AirAsia CEO sits in board meet getting a massage; trolled on social media

5 – Congress on Tuesday released its manifesto for Madhya Pradesh assembly polls next month and made a slew of promises including Old Pension Scheme, caste census, Nari Samman Nidhi of Rs 1500 per month to women, Rs 25 lakh health insurance and 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government services.

The manifesto, released by Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath in the presence of senior party leaders including former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, made “101 main guarantees” including continuing Jai Kisan Agricultural Loan Waiver Scheme to waive off farmers’ debt up to Rs 2 lakh besides providing domestic gas cylinder at Rs 500 and making school education free in the state.

Read in detail: Old Pension Scheme, caste census, OBC quota, Rs 25 lakh health insurance among Congress ‘guarantees’ in Madhya Pradesh

6 – Israeli troops killed four terrorists attempting to infiltrate from Lebanon, the army said Tuesday, as tensions run high along the border between the two countries.

“Observation troops spotted a terrorist squad attempting to infiltrate the security fence with Lebanon and plant an explosive device,” the army said in a statement.

Read in detail: Israel thwarts infiltration bid from Lebanon, kills four terrorists

7 – Amid the Israel-Hamas war, a Pakistani woman lawmaker has urged the cash-strapped country’s prime minister to give a “stern warning” to Israel to “end the atrocities on Palestine” or else it would be “erased from the map of the world.”

In the viral video, the woman lawmaker from Pakistan could be seen making a strong statement in the country’s parliament.

Read in detail: After Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law, woman lawmaker in Pakistan threatens Israel with its Islamic atom bomb | WATCH

8 – Gaza has about 84,000 pregnant women, 10 per cent of whom are expected to give birth in the next month. The region is reeling under a humanitarian crisis with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that the water supply will completely dry out for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.

“Babies don’t care about bombs, they come when they come,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said in an interview with CNN.

Read in detail: Hamas war on Israel has put 84,000 pregnant women in Gaza at risk as aid stalled at Rafah crossing: WHO

9 – In a major technological development, the world of wireless connectivity is poised to undergo yet another transformation as WiFi 7, the successor to WiFi 6E, makes its debut. This announcement comes approximately four years after the introduction of WiFi 6 and two years after the introduction of WiFi 6E, marking a significant advancement in wireless technology.

WiFi 7 promises to bring a substantial speed boost, building upon the groundwork laid by its predecessors.

Read in detail: What is WiFi 7, how fast is it compared to WiFi 6 and do you need to upgrade your routers?

10 – International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach thanked Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani for her “overwhelming hospitality” during the 141st IOC Annual Session on Tuesday.

The high-profile event, in which a number of key decisions were taken including the reintroduction of cricket to the Summer Olympics, came to a conclusion on Tuesday and Bach’s comments came towards the conclusion of the third and final day.

Read in detail: IOC Session: President Thomas Bach thanks Nita Ambani for ‘overwhelming hospitality’ on final day